


Maybe Later, Maybe Never

by Nat_Ahgase



Category: GOT7
Genre: Ahgase - Freeform, Choi Youngjae - Freeform, Cute Jaebeom, F/M, Fluff, GOT7 - Freeform, Im Jaebeom - Freeform, Jackson wang - Freeform, Kim Yugyeom - Freeform, Mark Tuan - Freeform, Mentioned GOT7 Ensemble, Park Jinyoung - Freeform, Wholesome, bambam - Freeform, cute im jaebeom, got7 cute im jaebeom, got7jaebeom, iGot7 - Freeform, jaebeom - Freeform, jaebum - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 37,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24116107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nat_Ahgase/pseuds/Nat_Ahgase
Summary: Bibi works in a coffee shop on the edge of town, where the sun shines a little brighter and the coffee tastes a little better.He is their most loyal and frequent customer, always keeping his nose in a book and ordering two, three, sometimes even four pots of tea.No one expected him to be paying attention to his surroundings. He seemed too engrossed in whatever story he was reading that day. But there was one person who made him want to put the book down and write a story of his own.
Relationships: jaebeom/bibi
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

There are three types of lonely. The one where you are literally alone and you don’t know who to reach out to. The one where you are surrounded by hundreds of people who call themselves friends, yet no one notices when you slip into darkness. And the one he is feeling right now, while staring at her from afar.

The one where the longing to be near someone is so strong that you need to give in, but gravity is keeping you in place. The one where you know the logical thing is to run towards them and never let them go, but your feet won’t move an inch. He wishes, with every single cell in his body, that he could, even just for a moment, feel her love again. The touch of her hand on his bare chest and her arms around his waist.

He wishes that he could, just for a moment, forget everything and start fresh. Just scrap the page and rewrite their story so it doesn’t end. But he can’t. Instead he decides to catch one last glance at her in her little black apron and with her hair in two braids on her shoulders. Despite everything, his heart fills with warmth and he dares to smile. Not too much though, just in case fate in watching and ready to snatch it all away again. 

He doesn’t want to walk away. But he walks away.

He has to. No, he must, he reminds himself. And so he goes and leaves the love of his life behind.

Had he stayed only half a minute longer, he would’ve met her eye. They could’ve shared one last moment or maybe that moment could’ve lead to so much more. But he didn’t and so she sighs and continues on waiting tables.


	2. Chapter 2

There isn’t much to do these days. Business is slow and not many people seem to be craving coffee today. Bibi wipes the tables for the tenth time, despite there being no crumbs on the surface. She reaches for the dust in the cabinet and makes her way towards the bookshelf that stretches across the entire left wall of the front café.

She begins dusting down the books, which range from geographic books over romance novels to biographies. The café had long ago established itself as a place of learning for any ages and anybody, who may need a place to develop a new skill. The owner is quite the philanthropist in a way. Bibi chuckles at the thought of Ray bringing in more books. He has a habit of entering stores with a single item on his shopping list and leaving with a hundred books instead. Quite a bookworm, but a bookworm who loves his community so much that he wants to make sure they all have a safe space.

Ray isn’t here at the moment. He trusts Bibi with the café more than he trusts his own children. But that’s a story for another time.

Bibi keeps dusting the shelves until her arms hurt too much and she can’t reach anymore. She swipes the duster between the books and the shelf, causing a lose piece of paper to fall out. It floats down quite dramatically and Bibi tries to catch it, but falls down the small steps instead. She rubs her ass and laughs at her clumsiness.

“Good one, Bibi.” She whispers mockingly before standing back up. She wipes her hands on her apron and locates the folded piece of paper.

She carefully unfolds it and brushes dust off its outer fold, giving herself a paper cut in the process. She hisses quietly and sucks on her finger to stop the bleeding.

The bell chimes. Bibi quickly slides the paper in her apron pocket and greets the new customer.

“Good afternoon! Please sit anywhere.” She hurries behind the counter without giving the customer a glance and washes her hands at the sink. She pulls out a plaster from the first aid kit and puts it on her lightly bleeding finger, before stepping up the counter to take their order. She is left a bit flabbergasted at the sight of him.

The customer that had entered isn’t just anybody. It’s their regular and Ray’s favourite customer. Mainly because he donates a lot of books himself, but also because he spends a lot of money on tea whenever he visits.

Bibi doesn’t know his name, nor has she ever asked. She enjoyed admiring him from afar and just appreciating his beauty without disturbing him. He seemed to get enough of that from every other customer. But he never once noticed anybody staring; or maybe he did and just didn’t care. Or maybe he noticed but cared more about the book he was reading. Either way, he always seemed so unbothered and Bibi admired that about him.

“What can I get you?” Bibi put on her most genuine smile.  
“Just a Jasmine green tea and a mint chocolate muffin please.” He mindlessly holds out his card to her and she moves the card machines closer for a contactless payment. They’ve done this before. It is almost rehearsed.

He will barely pay attention to anything but the open book in his hand, which he never seems to put down and she will just move the world to fit around him effortlessly. This is how it has always been for them. In each other’s presence without disrupting each other’s lives.

She watches as he gives her a nod and mirrors his movement instantly, before he steps back and goes to sit at his favourite spot by the front window. He sits down in the low arm chair and leans back making himself comfortable. He glances out onto the path for a brief moment, watching the spring winds blow through the pink flowers in the cherry blossom trees on the promenade. He smiles at the stillness of the world and returns his attention to his book.

Bibi pours his tea and places his muffin on a plate. She brings it over to him quietly and places the tray on his table as gently as possible.

“Let me know if you need anything else.” She nods at him again and puts her hand in the pocket of her apron, feeling for the piece of paper she is itching to read.

As she walks away, for the first time since she started working at the café, he opens his mouth to speak.

“Thanks, Bibi.”

Bibi turns at the sound, surprised at the smoothness of his voice. She isn’t sure what she was expecting, but it wasn’t for his voice to sound like honey. Sweet and soothing. Distracted by the sound of his voice, she doesn’t realise he knows her name until she is already all the way back behind the counter.


	3. Chapter 3

It started with simple things. A thank you here and a hello there. Soon he would ask how she is doing and if her day has been very busy. No one seemed to find this odd or new, it was just something that had naturally happened in the workflow. She always responded and she always felt her heart skip a beat when he’d smile at her with that gorgeous half smile of his.

She now steals glances at him over the coffee machine when she thinks no one is looking, but she always gets caught. It’s like he feels her gaze even though she is trying to be so discrete. Admiring from afar had become her talent, seeing it fall apart so easily made her blush on a regular basis.

She would take note of the things he read and the things he picked up next and she would read those books too. After the second book she realised though, she isn’t much of a reader and preferred visual arts a lot more. But she loved watching him read, so she always made sure his tea was refilled. She isn’t sure when the crush became so much more and why he is suddenly showing this interest in her, but she isn’t complaining either.

They never exchanged words beyond ‘how was your day?’ or ‘I hope I see you tomorrow again’. It felt like everything else, outside the café and outside of their little bubble, was irrelevant and unworthy of being talked about.

“He isn’t here today.” Ray steps up behind Bibi who is aimlessly wiping the counter and staring at the front door. The cherry blossoms have fallen long ago and the trees are now just covered in green leafs.

“What?” Bibi snaps out of it.

“He won’t be here for a little while.” Ray disappears around the back. Bibi follows him into the staff room.

“Where did he go?”

“If he didn’t tell you, maybe I shouldn’t either.”

“How do you know?” Bibi frowns but prepares to leave back to the front as the bell rings, announcing another customer’s arrival.

“He told me.” Before Bibi could say anything else Ray shoots past her and back into the main café. “Welcome, what would you like today?” He can be heard from the other room.

Bibi steps over to the small lockers and fishes out her bag. She grabs her small water bottle and takes a gulp of it. She’s fine. Definitely not unnecessarily upset. She is also lying.

She pours some of the water on her hand and rubs it onto her forehead to cool herself down. Maybe it’s for the best. Maybe it’s better that he’s gone so she doesn’t catch feelings.

“Get your shit together, Bibi. You’ve got other things to focus on anyway.” She whispers to herself in an attempt to distract her thoughts from the perfectly sculpted jawline that popped into her head. Or the dark brown hair that had grown out slightly now. She shakes her head violently, surprising herself.

As she makes her way back to the front a couple had just got up to leave. She immediately walks over to the table and picks up the tray with the empty cups.

“Did you put away the books I brought yesterday?” Ray asks her as she is packing the dishwasher with the new cups.

“I did, but I ran out of space so there are some in the box upstairs.” He nods.

“Good, I think we need to go through the ones we have up in the shelf. Give some to the library maybe so we can put new stuff out.”

“Sounds like a plan, boss.” She grins at him.

“Don’t call me that.”

“But you are… my boss.” He picks up the hand towel and throws it in her face. Bibi’s mouth opens in shock. “I will report you to the union, boss!”

They laugh. The café doesn’t have a lot of staff. Only Bibi, Ray and a girl called Mel. Since it is located in a remote part of town in the middle of a promenade, where people only go when the weather is nice, and even then they rarely sit in a café, there is no need for a lot of staff. Ray treats Bibi and Mel like his daughters, or probably a little nicer than his actual daughters. Mainly because the latter aren’t very nice, but again, a story for another time.

Bibi folds the hand towel up and places it on the counter.

“You know, if he’s gone for a while, we will lose like 50% of our business. He drinks so much tea.” Bibi teases.

“If he ordered something a little more expensive, we’d never run out of business.” Ray looks over at her fondly. “Don’t scare away my best customer. I will fire you if you do.”

“And how exactly would I do that?” Bibi laughs at the idea that she could ever have enough power over someone to make them stay away from a place as peaceful as Ray’s café. It’s calming and feels like time stands still. 

She had vowed to payback Ray for all the kindness he has shown her, when she was stuck alone in an unknown world. The loneliness she had felt had been too great for anybody to fathom, but Ray stepped into her life and held out his hand in spite of her objections. He didn’t let her face any harm along the way, so she will never let herself be the cause of his pain.


	4. Chapter 4

“He’s here!” Mel bursts into the staff room. Her hair is bouncing off her shoulders in a short bob as she excitedly announces his arrival to Bibi, who is just eating her sandwich.

“What?” Bibi nearly spits out a piece of bread, but instinctively closes her mouth in time. She swallows and drops the rest of her perfectly delicious sandwich. She rushes over to the small mirror hanging from the wall and checks her teeth for any lettuce. It’s clear. Her hair is in a high ponytail and she goes to take it out, when she stops herself. “What the hell am I doing?” 

“You look gorgeous, girl.” Mel chimes in and pinches her cheeks. Bibi pushes her off.

“He’s been gone two months. Why would I be bothered?” She tightens her ponytail instead and sits back down in front of her sandwich. She resumes eating, pretending to be unbothered but really she is having a huge internal conflict. 

Maybe she shouldn’t still care? Has he changed much? Did he ever think of her? 

She takes a bite and plays with the napkin. 

“Aren’t you going to go talk to him?” Mel turns the chair around and sits on it, one leg on each side. 

“Nope.” Bibi takes another bite, bigger this time.

“You should’ve seen his face when Ray served him. He was looking around,” Mel smirks as Bibi starts chewing more slowly, “almost like he was looking for someone…” 

“I’m sure he wasn’t” Bibi looks away and continues playing with her napkin nervously. 

“Oh yes, I’m sure he wasn’t.” Mel blows her bubble gum into a bubble until it pops. She smugly laughs before standing back up. “His hair grew past his chin.” 

Bibi chokes on her sandwich. Mel makes a quick escape. Her giggle can be heard as the door shuts behind her. Bibi reaches for her water bottle and tries to stop coughing. She hits her chest lightly with her chest coughs a couple more times, her cheeks now the same shade as the tomato in her sandwich. 

She glances at the door, wondering if she should maybe go and just take a peek. Just a tiny glimpse won’t hurt anybody. Bibi take a step towards the door and stops again. She bites her nail but then takes another step and starts pushing the door open. Just enough to sneak a little look into the coffee shop. 

The light in the coffee shop illuminates her face. A hair falls into her face, which she blows away from her eyes. 

There he is. On his usual table, facing the other way. The back of his head looks amazing. His shoulders edge over the back of the chair broadly, almost making it look like he is a sitting on a child’s chair. For a second she just admires him. Maybe she did miss him and wonder why he wasn’t coming back or why he didn’t call her.

But then she remembers that he doesn’t have her number. Stupid Bibi. 

He looks up from his book and turns his head slightly to the left, revealing the cutting edge of his jawline as he curiously searches the room with his eyes. Bibi’s lips automatically turn upwards into a comfortable smile. A figure appears in front of her, blocking her view. 

“What ya doing there?” Bibi brings her eyes to adjust to the person in front of her to find Ray standing with his arms crossed. 

“Just finishing my break.” Bibi mutters. 

“Get back to work then.” Ray forces the door open and steps aside for Bibi to step outside. “So?” 

The commotion behind him made him turn his head towards Bibi and Ray. Bibi’s eyes widen, mortified but he smiles at her and raises his hand in a small and slightly awkward wave. 

“Oh, I see what’s going on here.” Ray nods knowingly and points from Bibi to him and back to Bibi. He raises his eyebrows at her but she stands up a little straighter and grabs her apron from the hook next to the door. She ties it around her waist and hurries past Ray, who is still looking between her and the boy starring at her timidly. 

Bibi smiles a slightly embarrassed smile as she walks by him. He grabs her wrist before she can get away, which, at the speed she was going, would be very quickly. He holds onto it gently enough so she knows she could shake it off if she wanted to, but he still takes his hand back as soon as she stops in her tracks. 

“Hi.” Their eyes meet.


	5. Chapter 5

The sun has set and the coffee shop is the biggest source of light shining on the playground out front. He is sitting on the swing set, waiting for Bibi to lock up and holding a plastic bag. His denim jacket is buttoned up to keep out the chilly summer air. He is reading with his legs crossed, unaware of the birds chirping around him in perfect harmony with the sun setting in the distance. 

Bibi wipes down the counter one last time, before turning off all the lights and grabbing her bag. She reaches up to lock the top of the door and then locks the bottom lock. She turns around excitedly, but immediately tunes it down in fear she’d show him too much too fast. She wants be act cool and be fresh, but as soon as she sees him sitting on the swing set with a book in hand – such a familiar sight – she feels a sense of comfort wash over her.

In spite of every silent visit, every stolen glance and every accidental touch of hands she feels like really knows him. Not just the surface, but really knows him. Screw holding back, there’s worse things that could happen to Bibi than a broken heart from truly being invested in him. At least she’ll know she tried. At least she won’t be able to regret anything.

So she takes a step and another. Again and again. Slowly moving towards him until she almost skips. She stops in front of him and holds the strap of her bag with both hands. 

He leans his book on his knees and smiles at her. 

“Ready?” He says confidently as he places his book in the inside pocket of his jacket. She nods and he immediately stands up and leads her away from the playground. 

If Bibi wasn’t so focused on her own feet and not tripping out of nervousness, she would’ve noticed his hand inching closer to the small of her back. She would’ve felt the warmth of his fingertips brushing against her dress’ yellow fabric. But she doesn’t and he retreats the attempt to touch her for now. He bites his lip.

“So-“ She starts.

“How was-“ They smile sheepishly and both blush. “You go first.” 

“Okay…” She hesitates. “So where were you? Haven’t seen you in a while?” 

He rubs the back of his head.

“I went traveling for a bit.” 

They step onto the bridge crossing the river. The sky behind them is a lilac and pink colour as the sun is almost fully set.

“Traveling? Where did you go?” Bibi asks enthusiastically. She grips the strap a little tighter to keep her hands from reaching for him. She doesn’t trust herself right now.

“We were in Thailand for a couple of days-“ 

“I would love to go to Thailand! Did you go alone?” He chuckles at her interruption.

“We went to see my friend’s family, but then we moved on to Malaysia and Manila after that.” A cyclist comes towards them and he steps closer to Bibi as to quietly guide her closer to the railing and give the cyclist more space. His left arm shielding slightly just in case the cyclist loses control.

“So you went a lot of places! That sounds so fun. I never really get to go anywhere these days.” 

“Why is that?” 

“When I’m not working, I’m studying. When I’m not studying, I’m working. But once I graduate, I’ll go see some more places.” Bibi’s blue eyes glisten in the light of the evening song and the enthusiasm in her voice makes his heart flutter. 

“Maybe we’ll run into each other in one of those places.” He says innocently. 

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” 

They cross the rest of the bridge in silence and take in the beautiful scenery of the sunset reflecting on the river. They step down the stairs on the side of the bridge and walk along the river until they reach the park, where some vendors have set up their stalls for the evening market. 

Fairy-lights string from one stall to the other and through the trees surrounding them, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. 

“We can sit over there.” In a small moment of confidence, he holds out his hand to her expectantly. Bibi’s hand grip tighter around the strap of her bag, but she loosens her fingers and puts her hand in his. His lips form a satisfied smile. “Come on.”

A tingle moves from Bibi’s fingers into her arm like tiny shots of lighting trying to reach her heart and persuade her to let the storm out and jump head first into whatever it is he is offering. Before him, everything was calm but now she feels the storm is consistently brewing and watching. Waiting for a moment of weakness to rain on her parade. But she is ready to dance in the rain or hold an umbrella over their heads to shield them from the rage of the clouds above their heads. 

His fingers intertwine with hers as he pulls her along and she can feel him shake ever so faintly. Bibi lets her fingers relax against his and just squeezes for a short moment, but it was long enough for him to notice and bite his lip to hide a smile. The redness of cheeks, however hard he tried, could not be prevented.

They reach the bench underneath a big old oak tree and he hesitates to let go of her hand. The lights around them bring out the small shadows of Bibi’s cheekbones and the natural pink of her lips. Distracted, he forgets to let go and just sits down still holding her hand, but he pulls too hard and almost causes her to crash into him. He catches her though and finds himself almost eye to eye. 

She can feel his breath her cheeks. He definitely had a mint not too long ago. She gasps and takes an embarrassed step back. She sits down next to him and crosses her legs.

“Oh, sorry.” He scratches the side of his neck and sighs. 

“What’s in the bag?” 

He brings the plastic bag between them and turns his full body towards her. His shoulders are so broad that anyone behind him would not even be able to catch a glimpse of her. He pulls out two cans of beer and a box of chicken. 

“Great choice! chiKool is my favourite fried chicken place!” Bibi exclaims. She opens both cans of beer and hands him one. 

“No way! When I am not at the coffee shop, I’m usually there.” She laughs at that, which catches him by surprise. “What?”

“I just can’t imagine you anywhere else.” 

“Or maybe you don’t want to picture me anywhere else.” He winks at her and takes a sip of the beer.

“Maybe that’s true.” He swallows slowly, taken aback by her bluntness. “But let’s be honest, you can’t possibly read while eating fried chicken.” 

“Wanna bet?” He takes out his book and prepares to demonstrate his skills. 

“What should we bet for?” 

He pretends to think about it, but responds quickly and puts on one of the gloves he fetches out of the bag.

“A kiss.” 

Bibi nearly spits out the beer in her mouth and blushes, but she laughs it off. 

“Sure. If you get absolutely no chicken on that book, you may request a kiss.” 

“Deal.” And so he begins eating the chicken and reading the book, as Bibi watches him hiding the fact that she really wants him to win.


	6. Chapter 6

She won. He lost. But really they were both left disappointed that night. He might have tried very hard to avoid touching the pages of his book, but once he heard her laugh resonate in-between the trees and bounce straight back at them, he kind of forgot all about the bet. 

She laughed at him so loudly, that even some other park visitors gave them amused looks. Eventually, he gave up and claimed that she owed him a new book, seeing as his is now ruined. Bibi promised to get him a new copy, as soon as she can get away from the coffee shop next.

The night resumes and both really want to end it with a kiss, but neither builds up the courage to take a leap of faith. So he walks her home and waits for Bibi to be out of sight, before he proceeds to curse himself for it. Of course, Bibi’s heart is beating too fast to even think about stepping inside. So she waits behind the wall and listens to him adorably beat himself up about not kissing her. 

That’s all it took. She hurries out from behind the wall and basically runs towards him before she can change her mind again. He’s got his back to her but hears footsteps approaching and whips around alert. He relaxes when he sees her but is immediately engulfed in a tight hug.

He wraps his arms around her waist and lets his head rest on her shoulder. It’s as if they were meant to fit together like two pieces of a puzzle with her arms around his shoulders. He smells of expensive cologne and a hint of new book. 

Bibi knows that she is about to chicken out, if she doesn’t just kiss him right then and there. So she pushes back from the embrace, just enough to see his face and places her hands on the side of his neck. They smile at each other and he bites his lips as his eyes trail down to hers. 

She leans in just inches away from his mouth when fear starts creeping in and the urge to pull back and hide takes over. As if he senses her hesitance, he pauses and doesn’t move. Instead he looks straight at her and seems to only smile with his eyes. She feels no pressure and her body seems to relax straight into his, letting her lips fall onto his in a smooth and soft peck at first. 

She closes her eyes and feels him pull her closer with his arms. He kisses her now, but still slowly and following her pace. Just a peck. Then a longer one and a little longer one again. She smiles into the kiss and reaches her hand behind his neck to pull him in closer too, leaving hardly any space between them. 

Where there were small shots of lighting making their way to her heart before, there is now a full storm erupting from her mouth and entering her veins. The thunderous throbs of her heart lose their rhythm and irregularly beat through her body filling her with a new found energy. It’s like she can’t get enough of his lips and neither can he. 

They are so engulfed in the moment, that only the sound of voices edging nearer reminds them that they are in the middle of a street. They pull apart as the people walk around the corner and try to catch their breaths nonchalantly. Bibi catches his eyes and erupts into a quiet laughter. He admires the way she can so easily express her feelings to him and so he smiles as he leans over to hide the deep blush that had formed on his face. She kissed him first and he can’t believe that she likes him too. 

The group of people pass them, unaware of their shenanigans and continuing their own conversation. Bibi backs away from him and continues to smile at him, occasionally letting out a small chuckle. 

“Goodnight.” She whispers sweetly. 

It feels like she shot an arrow straight into his heart, claiming it for eternity. But he couldn’t care less. So he watches her go inside and walks away with the biggest boyish grin on his face.


	7. Chapter 7

Bibi finished her shift early and is sitting in the coffee shop patiently waiting for him to pick her up. She is holding a brand new copy of the book he was reading, to replace the one that was ruined. She sips at her cappuccino and keeps an eye on the door, jumping a little whenever the bell rings, unable to hide her disappointment when it isn’t him again.

So she waits for an hour. Then she worries that he might be lying in a ditch somewhere waiting for her to rescue him from certain death. No, that can’t be right. She is overreacting, there is no way he was mugged and then stabbed because he wouldn’t give up his wallet. But what if? 

She tells herself that there must be a reason for his lateness and she should just wait until he shows up to ask him. If she doesn’t like his answer, she’ll just be mad at him for a little. But how could she ever be truly mad at him for anything, when he can smile like that and laugh like that. 

Two hours pass and Mel comes over to keep Bibi company for a little bit. The coffee shop is about to close and she finished cleaning up the shop. 

“He’s not coming, is he?” Bibi bites her lip and picks at the cover of the book in her hand.

“Do you want to go to the cinema with me?” Mel asks placing her hand on Bibi’s to stop it from fidgeting. “We can watch anything you like.” 

“I should wait a little longer-“

“No you shouldn’t. He’s over two hours late, honey. He won’t come today.” Mel squeezes her hand and gives her a sad smile. “We need to close the shop.” 

Bibi sighs, but she complies and puts the book in her bag. She gets up and wipes the sad expression off her her face, before throwing her bag around her shoulders. 

“Let’s go.” Bibi walks towards the door, and immediately drops her smile when she turns her back to Mel. 

Mel follows her to the door and turns off the lights. She loops their arms together and begins skipping with Bibi until she lets out a small giggle. The pair of them look like school girls, but for now they don’t care. For now, Bibi needs distraction and she would take it in whatever form she could get it. 

He doesn’t show up the next day either. Bibi picks up her phone to text him only to realise they never exchanged numbers. She sneaks up to Ray while he is making a coffee and taps his shoulder. He jumps messing up his almost perfect leaf pattern.

“Bibi! What the hell? I finally got it!” Bibi peaks over his shoulder and nods her head sarcastically.

“Sure you did, Ray. I think I might have actually helped a little.” He holds up the cup and laughs.

“Maybe I should stick to paperwork and leave this stuff to you.” He puts it back down and wipes his hands on his apron. “What’s up?” 

“You know… that guy that comes here sometimes and just reads his book?” 

“I am familiar yes.” Ray leans against the counter behind him and crosses his arms across his chest.

“Well, do you happen to know him well?” Bibi tries to make it seem nonchalant, but Ray can read through her instantly. His lips twist into a small smirk.

“I wouldn’t say we know each other well. What is this about? Did he leave something behind?” 

Yes, me, she thinks. 

“Not exactly, I was just wondering if you maybe had his number. I have something to give him.” The bell rings and someone steps up to the counter, but Bibi’s back is to them. Ray smiles at the customer.

“Just a minute,” he nods and turns back to Bibi. “I don’t have his number, but I know where he works. I’ll write down the address later.” 

He puts a hand on her shoulder and chuckles as he squeezes it once. He walks past her and goes to take the customer’s order, but Bibi is already on cloud nine again. She picks up the coffee Ray was making and takes a sip, immediately regretting it and grimacing at the bitter taste. 

“Ray, please never make a coffee again.” She pours it down the sink.

“Noted.” He hands the customer their receipt and closes the register with his hip. 

A couple of hours later, Bibi is standing around the corner from his offices. She is hiding in a convenience store, staring out into the street and occasionally picking up a bottle of juice and putting it back down. She checks the post-it note in her hand and puts it in her pocket. 

She makes her way to the counter with a bottle of iced tea and pays quickly. Her feet finally working up the courage to go look for him. She has her hand on the door handle when she sees him. Her breath hitches and her fingers freeze against the door, now unable to move forward. 

Bibi is paralyzed by the sound of his laughter as he walks down the street with three other men. They all seem to be joking together, coming from the direction of their company building, where Bibi was about to go. But not anymore, because she saw him and he is fine. He isn’t dying in a ditch waiting for her to rescue him or stuck in an elevator with no way out. He is just fine. 

She hadn’t let herself think about the possibility that he just didn’t show up by choice, but here he is clearly free to make his own decisions. A little piece inside her breaks and tears involuntarily fill in her eyes as they follow him down the street and into a restaurant. He claps his hand on the back of one of his friends and follows them inside. 

This is her moment to sneak away unnoticed, but her body still isn’t responding. She pulls her hand back from her door and wipes the tears off her face in embarrassment. How could she believe that a man she doesn’t even know beyond the small space of the coffee shop would be feeling the same way about her? 

Stupid Bibi. She says a quiet goodbye to the store clerk and steps out into the street, making sure he doesn’t come out of the restaurant as she does so. The only thing that would be worse in this moment, would be getting caught. She really doesn’t want to face him right now or ever for that matter. 

So she hurries past the restaurant, only glancing in through the window for a second to see him but she can’t. A part of her is grateful that her eyes don’t need to endure the painful sight of him again. A sight that had previously made her feel butterflies in her stomach is now causing them to slowly die.

She steps back into the coffee shop and puts her hands in her pocket, forgetting about the post it inside. She takes it out and looks at it once before crushing it into a ball and throwing it in the bin. She walks over to the book shelf on the wall and quite aggressively throws her bag on the table in front of them. 

She rummages through it, taking out her makeup bag and her notebook, before she finds what she is looking for. The book. The book she bought for him, because she liked him. Stupid Bibi. She looks for a space on the shelf and shoves it in between a copy of Alice in Wonderland and Twilight. 

For a second, she looks at the book spines and how mismatched they look. The white spine of his book standing out in between the red and black copies around it, but she doesn’t care. It can be a reminder not to put so much faith into someone she just met. A reminder that she shouldn’t wear her heart on her sleeves.

She exhales loudly and picks up her bag turning around to the counter, where Mel is cleaning the coffee machine. 

“Do you have enough milk left for a milkshake?” Bibi says as she walks up to lean her shoulders on the counter. 

“Oh no, what happened?” She stops wiping the steamer and leans down to take the milk out of the fridge.

“What do you mean?”   
“You only drink milkshakes to cry into them.” She pours the last of the milk into the blender. “Don’t tell me he wasn’t there?” 

“Oh he was.” Mel smiles until she notices the grim expression on Bibi’s face. “He was there, but I didn’t speak to him.”

“Why not?” She blends the milkshake together.

“He just didn’t seem like he wanted to be interrupted.” Mel hands her the milkshake straight out of the blender and sticks two straws in it. 

“Tell me everything.”


	8. Chapter 8

Bibi has a couple of days off and decides to go to the beach for the weekend to clear her mind. Ray sneaks a little pocket money in her bag when she isn’t looking and waves as she leaves the shop. He looks after her until she disappears into the trees of the park across the road and returns to work. 

“She seems a bit better today. I hope she comes back in good spirit.” Mel wipes the table by the front door and gazes after Bibi. 

“She’s a strong girl, she’ll be fine.” 

“You overestimate her. Just because she doesn’t show her pain, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.” Mel comes around the counter and jumps to sit on it. “She is good at hiding her pain, but the worst at hiding her excitement. Sometimes I wish it was reversed, so we knew when she needs cheering up.” 

“He’s not been back in a week has he?” Mel looks at him surprised. “You guys think I don’t listen when you gossip, but I hear everything.” Ray winks at her and pushes her off the counter. Mel jumps to her feet.

“I hope he never comes back.” 

“That’d be bad for business.” Ray chuckles. “He drinks a lot of tea when he is here.” 

The bell rings as the door opens and he steps in. Mel and Ray turn to greet the customer, but both stop in their tracks. Their mouth slightly agape.

“Hi?” He lets go of the door and steps into the shop, but doesn’t take another step when he notices their confused glances. 

“What are you doing here?” Mel blurts out, immediately regretting it.

“I… mhm… I craved some tea.” He stutters as he walks up to the counter and pulls out his wallet.

“She’s not here.” Mel says with more confidence and a slight warning undertone. “If that’s why you’re here.” 

“I really just wanted some tea.” He pulls out some bills and hands them to Ray.

“What are you reading these days?” Ray asks casually and nods his head towards the kettle at Mel. She moves over reluctantly and begins making a pot of green tea. 

“I will hold your heart, by Kim Jihoon. But my copy got a bit messed up the other day.” His runs his hand through his long hair nervously, remembering the bet and remembering the kiss.

Ray notices the slight blush of his cheeks and smiles. 

“Should I stock it?” 

“It’s really good, I do recommend it.” He says enthusiastically.

“We already have it.” Mel chimes in absentmindedly without turning to face them. “Bibi left a copy here two weeks ago.” 

“She did?” He looks back at the book shelf, scanning for it. 

“Here’s your receipt. We’ll bring this over to you when it’s ready.” Ray hands him the receipt and looks after him, as he makes his way over to the stacks of books. 

“Should we have kept that a secret?” Ray asks Mel quietly. Mel shrugs. 

He steps up to the book shelf and cranes his neck slightly to see the top line of books. He doesn’t see it at first and scans it a second time. Again no luck. Mel brings over his tea and puts it on the table.

“It’s here.” She pulls it out from in between Twilight and Alice in Wonderland and hands it to him. He goes to take it from her but she pulls it back. “You know she waited for you, right?” 

He drops his hand and scratches the back of his neck. He refuses to meet her eyes and looks down at his shoes instead. 

“Good. Be embarrassed.” She throws the book on the table a little too harshly and walks away from him. 

He doesn’t move until he sees her disappears under the counter to clean the milk fridge. He sits down and nearly trips over the foot of the chair, but catches himself before anyone can notice. The other customers too engrossed in their chatter to pay any attention to him. 

He picks up the book and turns it around a couple of times, unsure if it is real. Did she really buy it for him only to then be stood up? The guilt starts to fill up his heart. He puts the book down and takes a sip of his tea. She didn’t buy it for him, there is no way she would’ve done that. 

He picks it up again and opens it at the first page. Mel peaks over the counter to watch him as he notices the note written on the title page. His eyes widen slightly. He runs a finger over the page and traces the signature carefully. Mel shakes her head at the sadness on his face, unable to form any sympathy for him and returns to her cleaning duties.

Sorry your copy got ruined.   
I bought a new one and then realised I don’t even   
Know your name… So here’s to hopefully  
Learning your name when I give it to you.  
Love, Bibi   
He dares to smile as he searches through his pocket to find his copy. He takes the pen attached to it and puts his book back. He opens the new copy on the title page and begins scribbling an answer.

Jaebeom. My name is Jaebeom.


	9. Chapter 9

“This one! That’s my favourite!” Mel swipes through the pictures on Bibi’s phone and stops on the one of her in an arcade with two friends. “He’s cute. Who is he?” 

“That’s just Mario. He goes to my uni.” Bibi takes her phone back and puts it in her pocket.

The coffee shop is quiet today, so they are taking a break and drinking a coffee while catching up. Ray went to the shop a while ago, so they won’t get in trouble for it unless they get caught eating the chocolate cake again. 

Bibi stabs the piece of chocolate cake with her fork and takes a big bite. What Ray doesn’t know…

“Mario is cute.” Mel winks suggestively. Bibi just shakes her head and chuckles disapprovingly.

“You think everyone with good hair is cute.” 

“That’s because hair is very important. If they have a lot of it now, they will likely not go bold as they grow older.” They giggle and continue eating their cake until it is gone. “Was the beach busy?” 

“Not really, it was strange for a summer night.” 

“Did you go skinny dipping then?” Bibi jokingly hits Mel’s arm and laughs out loud. “What? If you didn’t that’s a missed opportunity right there.” 

“There were others on the beach, just not as many as expected! Remind me to never go to the beach with you or introduce you to Mario.” The girls laugh a little longer and enjoy the sunshine from their seat by the window. 

“I should probably tell you that-“ Mel begins.

“He was here? Yeah, I know. Ray told me.” 

“Ray, can’t keep anything to himself. He is the biggest gossip ever.” Mel rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. 

“Don’t worry, I am fine. Seriously, it was nice being away when it happened, I don’t know if I’d be fine had I been here.” Bibi gives her a reassuring smile. “Should we clean this up before Ray comes back and notices we stole a piece of cake again?” 

“Good shout.” Mel quickly gathers all the evidence and hurries to put it in the dishwasher. “I think he might actually fire me this time.” 

“If he fires you, he has to fire me too.” Bibi follows her with the two empty cups of coffee and places them in the dishwasher too.   
“Fire you? Please. He loves you. You could probably set the books on fire and he would still not fire you.” Mel points at the books shelf and mimics an explosion with her hands, making Bibi laugh out loud again. 

“If I touched the books, I wouldn’t just be fired. I would be attending my own funeral.” Bibi shoves the washing tab into the dishwasher and turns it on. The bell rings and both girls immediately turn to greet the customer. 

Bibi turns so fast she almost loses her balance. Who is she hoping to see? 

“What are you guys looking at? Come help me out.” Ray pushes the door open further with his ass as he carries a huge pile of books in his arms. Bibi goes to help him and takes half of it off him.

She drops them on the table nearest the bookshelf and returns to grab the rest off him too. Ray goes back outside to his parked bicycle and opens the small front basket to reveal more books. 

“Could you make some space for these to go up?” Ray puts the rest of the books on the table next to Bibi and gives her a small nod, before disappearing into the back. He eyes the cake display suspiciously but doesn’t say anything.

“Do you want some help with that?” Mel asks half heartedly. She really doesn’t like organising things or doing more than what she is paid to do, so Bibi just waves her off. 

Bibi takes a look at the bookshelf top to bottom and goes about her usual routine when selecting books to remove. The top shelf is the least popular shelf, so most of the books up there can be donated or stored in the back. So she gets the little ladder and gets to work. Once the top shelf is empty, she moves the books from the middle shelf up to fill the now empty space and the bottom shelf to fill the middle shelf again. That way the new books are the closest to eye level and easiest to reach.

She pulls out the copy of Alice in Wonderland and forgets the book that is sitting next to it until she puts her hand on it. She doesn’t move and just stares at its spine. It even feels like a good memory. She hates it so much. 

She rips it out and throws it on her pile of books to get rid of, not granting it a second glance after that. She fills up the rest of the shelves until all the new books are up. Only then does she realise, that the book is still on the top of the pile just haunting her. 

Bibi picks it up, ready to place it somewhere in the middle of the pile so she doesn’t have to look at it again, when she notices the small crease in the cover. This book has been opened by someone. Unsure what to do, she goes to reach for a pen in her apron, to scratch out the note she had written into it before. That was all before, her feelings from before, not now. He can never read that.

As she reaches into her apron, she feels something that she had completely forgotten about. The note she had found months ago, but now a crumbly mess in her pocket. She pulls it out and places the book under her arm. 

A new nervousness comes over her as she unfolds the piece of paper carefully this time. It isn’t big and there isn’t much written on it, but she still brings her hand to her mouth in shock. Did he write this? Did he intend for her to find it or was he just playing a little game of hide and seek? 

The note read a very simple line. Almost like a pickup line, but a lot smarter and maybe even sweeter. I know you think no one sees you, but I do. 

It had to be him. Who else would it be? Was it even for her? Maybe it’s just from one of the books and it accidentally fell out. Bibi puts the note back in her pocket. Ridiculous, she thinks. 

She steps off the ladder and folds it back together, before she remembers the book clutched between her arm and chest. She opens it on the title page and reaches for her pen again, only she takes the note out instead. 

Staring at the handwriting from the note and the small message in the book, there is no doubt about it. It is his note and she now dares to believe it is for her. The butterflies slowly breathe in new life as she stares at the words in disbelief. 

Jaebeom. His name is Jaebeom.


	10. Chapter 10

One month later. 

There is a low fog resting over the road as Bibi leaves her shared student apartment in the city centre. The early morning light is barely bright enough to guide Bibi down the empty street. 

She stops by her local convenience store and picks up a sandwich to eat on the bus into work. Her backpack is heavy on her back with a pair of hiking shoes hanging from it. 

Bibi sits down on the bus and takes a bite of her sandwich. The quiet of pre-rush hour almost causes her to fall asleep before she reaches her stop, but she is abruptly brought back to consciousness at the sound of her phone ringing. 

The other two passengers on the bus throw her nasty glances until she picks up the phone, silencing it. 

“Hello?” She says quietly. 

“Where are you?” Bibi can hear Mel yawning on the other end of the phone. 

“I’m on the bus. Two stops away.” 

The bus comes to a stop and a new passenger gets on. 

“Well hurry up, Ray is so impatient.” Mel hangs up on Bibi before she can answer, earning herself an eye roll from the latter. Bibi rubs the sleep out of her eyes and is taken by surprise when a figure appears in front of her. 

She dares to look up, trying to hide the obvious distaste on her face from the interruption to her otherwise fairly quiet morning only to find her new co-worker Sol smiling brightly at her. 

Bibi doesn’t know Sol yet, and he hasn’t actually started working at the shop either. Today is his first day and as a welcome party, Ray decided that they should all get up at the crack of dawn and go hiking up the mountain before opening. Crazy bastard, she thinks.

“Good morning, Bibi!” Sol says way too excitedly. 

“Hi, I didn’t know we live in the same direction.” Sol nods enthusiastically. 

“Are you excited? Because I am.” Bibi tries her best not to sound rude, but something about the fact that it is 6 in the morning doesn’t allow her to mask her grumpiness. 

“Sol, I am so sorry, but I am not a morning person.” Sol doesn’t catch on. “Could you please give me at least half an hour to wake up? I’ll be much better company then. I promise.” 

Bibi expected Sol to be offended and turn away from her angrily, but instead he nods and laughs at her lightly.

“Sure thing. I’ll buy you a coffee when we get there.” He faces the front, so Bibi can only look at the back of his permed head. She notices him bringing his hand to his face to push the round glasses up his nose and smiles. What an unexpected encounter. 

He pushes the button and lets Bibi get off the bus first. Together, and in silence, they make their way down the promenade towards the coffee shop. Again he holds the door for her to go in first. 

“Finally!” Ray exclaims and grabs his bag from the counter. He hands Bibi and Sol a cup of coffee each and storms out of the shop as if it were on fire. “Coming?” 

“Told you he is impatient.” Mel jokes as she walks past them and out the door.

“Why did this have to be at 6am again?” Bibi asks as they make their way back down the same way she just came.

“Because there’s no better way to bond than over your first cup of coffee of the day.” Ray announces now holding a walking stick that matches the colour of his hat. 

“Team building is important but at 6am I feel much more inclined to hate you all.” Bibi mumbles into her coffee. Sol chuckles next to her and Bibi breaks into a small smile, before she remembers that she is grumpy and the frown returns.

“Look at it as a fun excursion with your favourite people.” Mel nudges her jokingly.”Since you don’t have any other friends.” 

“Hey! I have plenty of friends.” Bibi calls out offended. 

“Oh really, name one?” 

Without thinking about it, Bibi responds. “Jaebeom.” Mel’s head snaps to her in confusion. Bibi hadn’t seen or even mentioned him in a month and no one had any news from him. Or at least, if Ray knows anything, he hasn’t been very talkative about it.

“Don’t you live in student housing? You must get along with your housemates too?” Sol asks innocently unaware of the implications of the J word. 

“Yeah, totally, we just don’t… hang out.” Bibi hides her blush by taking a long gulp of her hot coffee. She endures the burn on her tongue, too embarrassed to look Mel in the eye. 

“They don’t count. I have never met any of them.” Mel proclaims and catches up with Ray who is still leading the way like a man on a mission. 

“So now that you had your coffee, are you excited to climb the mountain?” Sol asks again.

“Any distraction is a welcome distraction these days.” Bibi swallows the last of her coffee and throws the empty cup in a bin.


	11. Chapter 11

Jaebeom is sitting alone on the swing set across the road from the coffee shop. Unsure what to do or where to go. The closed sign is hanging in the door and nobody seems to be inside. Odd, he thinks as he swings slowly back and forth and lets his feet kick small pebbles around. 

Someone appears in front of him, holding two cups of iced coffee and hands him one. An umbrella is hanging from his wrist and hits Jaebeom in the head lightly. He looks up to find his friend looking down on him disapprovingly. 

“When they said you hadn’t come into work yet; I was hoping I’d be wrong.” Jaebeom takes the drink from his friend’s hand and watches him sit down on the swing next to him. “You’re gonna get a restraining order if she sees you.” 

“She won’t see me.” He takes a sip of his drink then immediately frowns, unsure if it is at the bitterness of the coffee or his own. He holds out the cup to his friend, who immediately switches the drinks out. Jaebeom takes a sip and this time smiles at the sweetness.

“If she’s even real.” His friend chuckles. “I’ve never seen her once.” 

“That’s because you weren’t really looking.” 

Whenever he feels like the world becomes too much, he escapes to this swing. The first time he sat on it, waiting for her, he was feeling truly happy. His heart was beating out of his chest and he couldn’t focus on a single word he was reading. 

Now he comes here to run away from the pressures of his life, only to watch her from afar, secretly hoping she can hear that his heart is still beating right out of his chest. But she never looks in his direction. 

He wouldn’t either. Maybe it’s for the best. He shouldn’t be so easily distracted, but how can he focus on anything when her eyes keep creeping into his head? How can he not think about the way her lips felt on his? 

“That makes no sense, man.” He laughs at him again, but also brings his eyes to the dark coffee shop ahead. “How long are you going to be sitting here?” 

Jaebeom takes out a book from his pocket and taps it against his head.

“Should I just tell them you aren’t ever coming back?” Jaebeom takes his books and whacks his friend with it. “Hey, is this how you thank someone who bought you a drink?” 

“I never asked you to do that.” Jaebeom responds with a straight face. 

Everything reminds him of her now. The smell of coffee, the taste of coffee, everything coffee. Despite not even drinking coffee when he goes to the coffee shop. He relates everything back to her now, like a big crossword puzzle to which the answer is always Bibi. 

“Don’t mess with the broken hearted boy, I got it.” He gives him an encouraging smile before standing up. “It looks like it’s about to rain quite badly.” He leans his umbrella against Jaebeom’s swing. “Don’t stay too long.” 

“Thanks, Jinyoung.” He watches as his friend walks away and opens his book. 

Before he can even read a full page, the first drop of rain falls from the sky. He looks after his friend who he could now only make out as a small figure at the end of the road and puts his book back in his pocket.

He grabs the umbrella and jogs down the path, getting caught in the rain.


	12. Chapter 12

“We have to stay here?” Bibi asks outraged.

The weather shifted out of the blue as they made their way up the mountain to Ray’s favourite picnic spot. Bibi argued the entire way that the clouds weren’t blowing away from them, but Ray didn’t want to hear any of it and now they are stuck in this small village until it clears up and they can make their way back down. 

“No one could’ve seen this coming, Bibi. Try and be optimistic.” Ray rolls his eyes only for Bibi to flip him off behind his back. “Can we have two rooms please?” 

The lady at the counter of the small motel nods happily at the customers and grabs two room keys from the wall. She hands them to Ray who in return pays in cash. 

“I cannot believe I have to be stuck here until tomorrow.” Bibi mumbles and sits down next to Mel. 

“You don’t have anywhere else to be anyway.” Mel says.

“Not cool, Mel.” As fast as she had sat down, Bibi stands back up and takes one of the keys from Ray. “I’ll go for a nap. Wake me up when we are getting food. Which you are paying for by the way.” Bibi points at Ray before heading out the door and around the corner. 

“Don’t worry Sol, she isn’t always this cranky.” Ray jokes when he sees Sol’s worried expression. 

Bibi doesn’t hear the last comment as she steps outside and is overwhelmed by the sound of the rain hitting the ground like bullets hitting bodies. She brings her hands to her ears to shield herself from the noise and walks around the small garden, through the roofed passage ways. 

She is livid inside. Angry at the situation and mostly angry at the constant reminder that apparently she has no life. No one to hang out with and certainly no one to call to tell that she won’t be coming home tonight. 

In a perfect world, she would though and that is what is driving her insane. She was so close to having someone for the first time in forever, but for some unexplained reason that never happened and now she is back to being angry at the world.

Why did he bother coming into her life if he didn’t intend to stay? 

She finds room number 13 and jams the key in the lock. After some aggressive wiggling and resistance, she takes a deep breath and tries again, more gently. The door opens easily, but Bibi still pushes it open and then slams it shut behind her. 

Despite the sheltered way, her feet got soaked and her hair is a little wet at the ends. She takes off her shoes and socks and puts them near the radiator. She leaves her jacket hanging on the door, before turning on the TV.

A low knock sounds from the door. 

“Can I come in?” Mel’s voice seems hesitant, setting off feelings of guilt in Bibi for snapping at her earlier. 

“It’s your room too.” 

“I’m sorry, Bibi.” Mel steps in and shuts the door. Her feet are also wet from the rain, but she ignores them and simply walks over to the bed where Bibi is sitting. “I shouldn’t have said it.” 

“I just don’t get it you know?” 

Mel sits down next to her, for the first time noticing the age difference between them and seeing a young twenty something year old in front of her. Mel rarely feels more mature than Bibi or even older for that matter, but the way her eyes fill with tears and her voice trembles reminds her that she is just a young girl.

“What don’t you get?” Mel takes her hand.

“Why does everyone think that I am not fine with the way my life is right now? Why do I have to have a lot of friends or plans every Saturday night?” The tears start streaming down her face and she sobs uncontrollably, barely able to speak. “Why is it not enough that I enjoy working hard and studying hard, without feeling like I’m missing out? Why can’t anyone understand that I don’t even want more?” 

Bibi meets Mel’s eyes.

“I was so sure that all I wanted was to work hard and then get the reward. Why did it take the smallest flake of snow to cause all of that to avalanche?” Bibi whispers before letting the sobs take over and falling into Mel’s arms. 

“Honey…” Mel holds her tight and rubs her back slowly. “It doesn’t matter how well you plan your life out in advance. There will always be a new mountain to climb or a new door behind a corner.” 

The wind blows the blinds outside shut, giving them both a fright. Bibi sits up again and wipes the tears off her cheeks. 

“I wish it didn’t hurt. I didn’t even know him that well, why does it hurt so much?” 

“Because he was an unexpected turn in your life plan.” Mel smiles reassuringly. “From personal experience, when a man comes crashing into your life, you fall a lot harder than when you see them coming.”   
Bibi chuckles a little and Mel puts both hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look straight at her. 

“This is just a hiccup. If it’s meant to be, he will come back. Or if you want it to be meant to be, you can also go back. It’s your choice how you deal with the pain now.” 

Mel pats Bibi’s shoulder once, twice and with every little pat it gets harder and harder until she is eventually just slapping her. 

“Hey!” Bibi pulls back.

“That was for storming out and letting me deal with Ray on my own.” 

“You weren’t on your own. You had Sol….” Bibi and Mel look at each other in horror. “You left him alone with Ray on his first day?” 

The two women jump up and race out the door, forgetting to turn off the television. 

Bibi comes back a couple of seconds later to grab her shoes. 

That night Mel sleeps soundly next to Bibi, who can’t get him out of her head. She doesn’t understand why she is so hung up on him, or well, the idea of him. She only spent a couple of hours with him here and there. Hardly enough to call it anything but a crush.

But then again, neither him, nor her really discussed any of this. 

The sound of the rain hitting the roof becomes so loud, Bibi wonders how Mel can sleep through it. She sits up and leans against the wall. 

Bibi checks the time. July 9th, 1:58AM. She wonders if he might be thinking about her too or if he forgot about her already. In that moment, Bibi decides that she wasn’t going to let him be an unexpected surprise around the corner in her life trajectory. Instead he will be a choice. 

A choice she makes to either seek out or let go. She isn’t sure which path to take yet, but the way her heart beats at the idea of seeking him out, gives away the answer.


	13. Chapter 13

The wind hasn’t let off yet, but at least the rain stopped. The strings to her hood are tightly tied under her chin as she avoids the slippery rocks under her feet. 

“Why did you make us come all the way out here? We could’ve stayed in the city and gone bowling!” Bibi moans to no one in particular. 

Sol laughs and reaches out his hand to help her over a fallen log. 

“Is it even safe to be walking here with this amount of wind?” She takes his hand and uses it as support to lift herself over the piece of wood. She smiles at him and continues on.

“I’m sure if there was another way, we’d take it.” Sol whispers. “Or maybe he just really hates us?” They giggle together as Ray shoots them a small glare.

“Believe it or not, I don’t influence the weather.” Ray sighs, but marches on and moves leafs out of the way before they can hit his face. He let’s go of the branch only for it to hit Mel straight on her forehead.

“Hey!” She shrieks. 

“We are almost at the bus terminal, come on.” He ignores her and leads the way.

“If he controlled the weather, we’d all be doomed.” Bibi picks leafs out of Mel’s hair and hooks their arms together. She offers her other arm to Sol, who hesitates at first. “The least we can do now, is actually bond.” She raises her elbow in his direction again and he hooks his arm into hers. 

They make their way down the small path and out of the woods, following a grumpy Ray, whose plans just never seem to work out. 

As if the day couldn’t get any worse for them, the bus service is restricted and they don’t make it back to the coffee shop until 2PM. The whole way back, they debated whether they should open or not. Whether there would be a point or not. Whether customers would even come into the shop or not. Bibi stopped listening and instead shared her earphones with Sol, as he also couldn’t care less.

Bibi drops her bag in the break room and wraps her little apron around her waist. She hands Sol his and watches him attempt to put it on like her, but failing. She laughs at him but still reaches around his body to pull it tightly and tie it together in the front. 

“This is the best way to keep it in place, otherwise it might get loose and just fall down.” Bibi pulls at the little bow one last time and wipes Sol’s shoulders, which are at her eye level. “Finally a tall person who can reach the top of that damn shelf.” 

She nods at him, happy with her work and steps back. When did the door open? How did she miss the sound of the bell ringing as someone stepped in?   
She stares straight at the man, whose name she only just found out and her eyes widen slowly. He seems to be watching the scene unfold in front of him curiously. He looks just like time hadn’t passed at all with a book in his hand and bucket hat on his head, covering his long hair.

Bibi reminds herself that he is just a boy and she is just a girl and they are just two people who kissed once, no big deal. But it is a big deal. 

Sol turns to follow her gaze and breaks into a bright smile. 

“Welcome, my first customer. What can I get you?” He excitedly walks all the way around the cake display to the back of the counter. 

“He’ll have a jasmine tea, not too strong though with… extra sugar.” Bibi realises too late that she had actually spoken the words causing the corner of Jaebeom’s lips twitch slightly. Against her better judgement and fully in line with her heart’s desires, she smiles back. “I’ll get it, just ring him up.” 

Bibi makes the tea quietly and slowly, scared of her behaviour when she will face him again. She listens to Sol ask for the change and predicts the sound of his card hitting the card reader in response. 

She is too focused on looking busy that she doesn’t notice his eyes following her every move or the way his hand fidgets around his book nervously. Had she noticed, then maybe her own anxiety could’ve eased. 

“We will bring it over to your seat as soon as it’s ready.” Sol says and smiles brightly again. Jaebeom walks over to the seat by the window, overlooking the promenade, but he doesn’t start reading, his eyes still focused on Bibi. “How did I do?” 

“You took payment well. I am very proud.” Sol shrugs and goes to grab the tea Bibi had just put down on the tray to take over to him. “No.” They look at each other abruptly. “Oh, I mean, I’ll take it. You should keep getting familiar with all the settings on the till.” Sol nods, but isn’t convinced.

Bibi picks up the tray and straightens out her apron with her free hand. She exhales and shakes her head to regain composure. 

As soon as she lifts her head, she notices him just looking at her. A small smile and a reassuring look on his face. She hasn’t seen him in a month and until just now, she did not realise how much she missed him. 

Maybe distance does make the heart grow funder. Or maybe Bibi was just absolutely smitten with the way his eyes sparkle when the light hits them just right or the way he smiles like she is the sunshine personified. 

Either way, the butterflies in her stomach are having a party and she can’t take her eyes off of him.  
She puts the tray down in front of him, shaking slightly. He chuckles at her and steadies it, before she puts it down fully. 

“Oh wait.” Bibi wipes her hands on her apron again, nervous habit, and quickly walks over to the bookshelf. She scans it for the book she had purchased for him and grabs it. “This is for you.”

Bibi takes a seat across from him and pushes the book over to him. 

“No, it’s for you.” He puts it down in front of her.

“Me?” 

“I left you a note in it.” He looks to the ground blushing. 

“I know, I read it.” Bibi looks away too, letting out a short laugh. “But I meant to give it to you, so it’s yours.” 

Their eyes meet. 

“What are you doing tomorrow? And the day after? And the day after?” He asks her enthusiastically as he leans his elbows on the table and puts his chin in his hands. 

“Working. And probably also working. Then potentially free.” 

“It’s a date.” He puts his arms back down and takes a sip of the tea. “Perfect.” He mumbles. 

“When is the date?” Bibi asks confused.

“Every day from now on, it’s a date.” He leans over the table and gestures for her to meet him halfway. 

Bibi looks around to make sure Sol isn’t looking at them, before she slowly leans closer to his beautiful face, with his beautiful cheekbones and his beaut- Bibi, get it together, she thinks. 

“I have some making up to do.” He leans forward just a little more and plants a quick peck on her lips.

Bibi doesn’t even have the time to close her eyes and her lips stay puckered up when he leans back in shock. 

“O-okay.” She cannot bring herself to say anything else and gets up.

Jaebeom leans back in his chair, opens his book and smiles like he just won the lottery.


	14. Chapter 14

That morning, Bibi forgot to grab her keys from the table next to her front door. To make matters worse, she also left her umbrella in her room by accident. 

The clouds are so dark that she should’ve remembered. So she is walking down the small path towards his company holding her bag over her head to protect herself from the rain. She is soaked head to toe and wonders if she should’ve even bothered showering that morning. 

She finds shelter in the 7-Eleven she passed the first time she was here and stands under the small roof out front. She puts her arms tightly around herself, trying to bring warmth back to her body to no avail. 

Her teeth are chattering and the rain isn’t letting up. She sighs but still tries to smile through the horrible day she had so far. 

The bring her hand to brush through her hair, but gets the Band-Aid that’s on her finger, from burning herself on the coffee machine, stuck and rips it off, cause instant pain. She blows on her finger and tries to shake it off. Just shake it off.

Still freezing and unsure where she is going to meet him now that the rain is just getting heavier, Bibi takes out her phone from the bag. She places her finger on the home button, but it’s too wet to recognize it. She closes her eyes and inhales sharply. It’s ok, it’s nothing to get mad about. 

She wipes her hand on her soaked dress, amounting to nothing really, but still she can type in her passcode. Bibi forces a smile on her face. Fake it ‘til you mean it. She dials his number and puts the phone to her ear. 

“The number you have called is not available at this time please-“

She hangs up. 

Bibi puts the phone back in her bag and drops her hands to her side. She just stares ahead at the rain that ruined her dress; ruined her hair; ruined her mood; ruined everything and she begins stomping her feet, thinking no one will hear or see her throw an anger tantrum.

She slightly thrashes around and starts crying. She brings both hands to her face and just cries into her hands for a while. She lets herself sink to the ground into a low squat position.

Her body vibrates in silent sobs and she doesn’t notice the rain letting up slowly. The sun shines through the clouds just a little bit, right on her. 

A jacket is thrown over her shoulders. She looks up and sees him squatting next to her, holding an umbrella over the both of them. Her eyes peak over the edge of her fingers and she immediately turns a different shade of red, no longer angry but definitely embarrassed. Not only embarrassed at the thought that he might’ve seen her have a total meltdown, but also embarrassed at the thought that he might just truly be as concerned as his expression makes him out to be. 

He leans the umbrella on his shoulder and skilfully holds it in place as he reaches for her hands. He guides her left arm into the jacket and then her right arm. When he is zipping it up, Bibi finally gets herself together and tries to push his hands off, instead he zips it up to the top and takes her hand in his. 

“Let’s get you dried off before you catch a cold.” He pulls her up with him and wraps his arm around her shoulders. “Why didn’t you call me?” 

Bibi stops in her tracks.

“I did!” 

He smiles at her and pushes her slightly to keep going. 

“I don’t live far from here, come on.” 

Bibi is too cold and uncomfortable to care about the implications of going to his apartment. Right now the priority is to stop feeling the need to cry and get out of her wet clothes. No matter how. 

Bibi steps out of the bathroom wearing a matching grey hoodie and joggie set. The arms are too long, giving her tiny hoodie paws. 

“I hope your clothes are dryer safe.” Jaebeom is sitting on his sofa petting a cat that is sitting in his lap. 

“If they aren’t, we are about to find out.” Bibi sits down next to him on the sofa, but immediately jumps back up when an angry meow sounds from behind her. 

On the backrest of Jaebeom’s sofa lies a startled looking but pretty cat. 

“How many cats do you have exactly?” 

He picks up the second cat from the backrest and drops it in his lap next to the other one. 

“Three. I don’t know where Nora is hiding right now, but I’m sure the commotion will make her come this way soon.” Bibi looks around the apartment a little worried another cat will just surprise her. Jaebeom looks amused. “You can sit down now.” 

She hesitates and looks from him to the cats in his lap.

“They won’t bite you.” He reassures, but still carefully places them on the other end of the sofa. 

“This is a pretty snazzy apartment.” She finally sits down and crosses her legs, admiring the flat screen TV and open plan kitchen. “The view is insane.” 

They both look out the floor to ceiling windows over the mountains, watching the sun set slowly and leaving a magical trace of purple and pink tones. 

“My mom used to say that the sun paints the sky beautiful shades so we don’t forget about her while we sleep.” Bibi says with a faint smile on her lips.

“What does it mean?” She continues looking out into the world, not realising that he had shifting his attention to her. 

“I think…” She meets his eyes. “I think she was trying to be deep.” They both start laughing again startling the cat, causing it to jump off the sofa. “I think your cat doesn’t like me.” 

“Sometimes I think my cats don’t even like me, so don’t worry.” He shuffles slightly towards her. “Do you want to order some food?” 

“Food would be nice. How long does the dryer take?” 

The doorbell rings before he can answer the question. 

“Did you psychically just order food?” Bibi jokes and gets to her feet to check the intercom closely followed by him. “If this is food delivery, then I will go pet every single one of your cats, no matter how much I believe they will eat me.” 

Bibi hits the display button on the intercom and sees a tall man holding a pizza box. He is brightly smiling into the camera. 

“Jaebeom, it’s me. Open the door, I brought Pizza.” He rings the bell again.

“I guess I have to pet your cats.” Bibi walks over to the sofa, where the white cat remains and leans down. “Please don’t bite me…” She whispers. 

“What is he doing here?” Jaebeom whispers to himself as if he entered his own bubble and forgot about Bibi altogether.


	15. Chapter 15

It’s been about ten minutes that Jaebeom slipped out the front door to talk to his friend. Bibi is starting to get nervous while playing with Nora on the sofa. The small white cat is unbothered by the new person and only focuses on the little toy that Bibi is dangling in front of her. 

Bibi tries to lean in closer to eavesdrop, but can’t hear a thing. She puts down the toy, which Nora immediately grabs and walks over to the intercom. Bibi holds up her hand to press the button to turn on the screen, but brings it back to her side. She bites her lip. I can’t spy, she thinks and turns around again.

She takes two steps towards the sofa where Nora is now getting bored with the static toy and takes a deep breath.

“A quick listen won’t do no harm.” 

Bibi goes back to the intercom and presses the screen on button. At first they look like lovers as they are whispering in each others’ ears. She can’t see their lips to read the words so she turns on the sound. Again, to her own disappointment the volume is very low and their whispering doesn’t help the microphone pick it up. 

“… not allowed to-“ The friend seems to say. Bibi is basically pressing her ear to the speaker. 

“I know!” Jaebeom snaps back louder, causing Bibi to step back from the intercom. She looks up to see him rubbing his face. 

Behind her, Nora pushes the toy off the sofa. Bibi looks back for a second only to hear that front door open. When she turns back to the intercom, the two of them aren’t there anymore. She hears the footsteps before she can see them round the corner and tries to press the off button on the intercom, getting caught redhanded. 

Jaebeom and his friend come around the corner, the latter still holding a bag with a chicken shop logo on it, both stop in their tracks when they see Bibi standing by the intercom looking panicked. 

“Well…. Hi?” Bibi holds up her hand to wave and shuffles away from the wall. 

“You must be Bibi.” Jaebeom’s friend smiles at her brightly and holds out his hand. “I’m Jinyoung.”

Bibi takes his hand and shakes it quickly and looks over to Jaebeom, before looking down at her borrowed outfit. Jinyoung follows her gaze and chuckles lightly. “Nice to meet you.”

“What are you doing over there?” Jinyoung asks smugly. Bibi knows he knows exactly what she was doing and that made her dislike him a little bit for asking. She turns her head slightly to look at him and Jaebeom steps forward between the two.

“Jinyougn is my… colleague!” 

“And best friend.” Jinyoung adds. 

In that moment, a beeping sound reaches them from the laundry room and Bibi appreciates the welcome opportunity to escape. 

“Oh that must be my clothes.” Bibi says. Jinyoung looks confused,so she points down at her outfit. “These aren’t mine.”

“Oh I know that.” Jinyoung teases. Jaebeom glares at him.

“I should go get my clothes… now.” Bibi basically runs out of the room, causing Nora to get spooked and jump into the other direction. 

As Bibi walks out of sight, Jaebeom punches Jinyoung in the arm. 

“What’s that for?” He asks as he rubs his arm. 

“You don’t have to be rude to her.” 

“I wasn’t being rude, just teasing a little.” Jaebeom glares at him again. “Fine, I’ll stop.” 

Jinyoung drops the chicken on the table and starts setting it out. 

“Well, are you gonna go get plates or do I have to do everything myself?” Jaebeom doesn’t move and instead stares at the door Bibi just went through. “Fine, I’ll go. Not like it’s your house or anything…”

Jinyoung walks past Jaebeom, whose head is still in the clouds. Nora rubs against his leg, bringing him back to reality. He should talk to Bibi, make sure she is okay. He takes a step forward as both the door opens and Jinyoung returns holding three plates. 

Bibi is back in her trousers, but is holding her shrunk top with a pout. 

“It wasn’t dryer safe…” She starts to giggle and Jaebeom’s face lights up in response. She is okay, he thinks to himself. 

Jinyoung is sitting on the floor setting up the place for three people, waiting for them to sit down. 

“Are you guys done?” Jinyoung looks at them expectantly.

“You want me to join?” Bibi asks quietly, unsure if that is what is happening or if a third person was going to come by too. 

“Of course, I need to get to know the girl that has caused my best friend to break all the rules.” Jinyoung gives her a warm and reassuring smile and gestures for her to sit down. “I hope this is enough food…”

“If it isn’t, we can just order more.” Bibi jokes and takes a seat. 

“Ah, I like you already.” Jinyoung turns to look at Jaebeom, who is just staring at them in confusion. “I like her. Will you just sit down? You are making me nervous.” 

Jaebeom obeys and murmurs: “I like her too”

Jinyoung drops a piece of chicken on Bibi’s plate and pushes the rest over to Jaebeom, who has to take his own. 

“I don’t think I know what it is you guys do…” Bibi takes a bite and looks at them both curiously. She doesn’t notice that Jaebeom shakes his head at Jinyoung to keep quiet. She also doesn’t notice the intense glare followed by a pleading look. Jinyoung sighs.

“We work in entertainment.” 

“Oh that’s cool. Do you work with idols?” Bibi can’t hide her excitement, but to be honest, she couldn’t name any current idols beyond Rain. Was he even still an idol? 

“Sometimes, but mainly behind the scenes.” Jaebeom clarifies. 

“What specifically?” Bibi pushes. 

“Enough about us, what do you do? I heard a lot about you!”

“I am not hardly as interesting…” 

“What? Barista work is also very interesting. I mean you met this guy there so how boring can it be?” He points to Jaebeom who is mid biting into his chicken wing, looking absolutely ridiculous. 

They both laugh at him and once he swallows, he also joins them. Had they turned on the TV, then they would’ve seen the news about an accident involving a drunk driver, that killed an older coffee shop owner. Had Bibi been close to her phone, then she wouldn’t have missed the thirteen calls from her co-workers or the endless texts asking where she is. 

But none of that matters, as they laugh together in ignorance of what the world has in store for them, when their bubble bursts.


	16. Chapter 16

The sound of sirens rushing closer burns its way into Bibi’s ears, as she clunches onto the taxi door. Jinyoung is sitting in the front asking the driver to hurry up and arguing back and forth about breaking the speed limit. 

Jaebeom’s finger curl and form a fist. He’s hesitant to reach for her hand and help her calm down. Nothing will calm her down right now, he knows this, but for some reason he still wants to at least try. He doesn’t and just watches BIbi’s tear striken face silently. 

The hospital comes into sight and both Jaebeom and Jinyoung point to it. The driver isn’t impressed with either of them and just pulls up to the pavement to let them out.

The car isn’t fully stopped yet when Bibi pushes open her door and jumps out, leaving behind her bag on the seat. Jaebeom grabs it as Jinyoung pays and they both try and rush after her, but she is already around the corner and in the door by the time they get out of the car. 

“Wait!” Jinyoung calls after Jaebeom.

“What?” Jaebeom looks visibly annoyed at being held back.

“Is it really the best if we go with her?”

“We’ve come all this way!” Jaebeom waves around frantically with the bag. “Besides I need to give her her bag.” 

“Alright, but we shouldn’t stay long.” Jinyoung puts a hand on Jaebeom’s shoulder and they start toward the door. “I know you like her, man, but let her react before you put yourself into the equation.”

“Just go if you’re gonna tell me what to.” Jaebeom shrugs off his hand and jogs in the door. An ambulance just pulling up, its sirens covering the sound of Jinyoung calling out for him to wait. 

The noise of the ER fills Jaebeom’s ears and he searches the crowd for her. A doctor bumps into him and he almost loses balance, but then spots Bibi statically standing in the middle of the ER and staring ahead behind a curtain. He slowly walks up to her, trying not to startle her as he enters her personal space. Her face now covered in dried tears and her eyes showing an emptiness as if she isn’t currently present. 

Her arms are hanging lazily at her sides and her breathing is slow, like the calm before the storm. 

Jaebeom’s fingers tighten around the strap of her bag. He steps up almost next to her when he finally sees what lies behind the curtain. He takes a step back, overwhelmed with the image in front of him. 

A man in a white coat with a statoscope around his neck and fogged up glasses is sitting on someone’s chest doing compressions and yelling at the nurse to get some medicine. One of the machines behind the bed is releasing a very loud and obnoxious beeping sound, causing the doctor to look up and back down several times. A nurse wheels up a defibrillator just as the other nurse comes back with a syringe, which he plunges into the patient without hesitation. 

The doctor leaps off of the patient for the first time revealing the face to Jaebeom. Bibi already knew who she was looking at. She knew what the sounds and the panicked screaming meant. She knows exactly what’s about to happen. Her eyes are glazed as she watches the man who gave her a chance slowly lose his life. 

Ray’s bruised and blood covered body lies on the bed unmoving. His chest is exposed and quickly covered in two metallic plates held by the doctor. Bibi is fully disassociated from the happenings in front of her and barely even gasps when the doctor releases the first wave of electricity. 

Jaebeom snaps his attention from Ray to Bibi and straightens up again. He needs to be there for her and help her, but he doesn’t know how. He wraps her bag around him to free up his hands and looks around for a chair to sit in. Sure enough there are some free seats in the waiting room and he slowly steps up to her.

“Bibi?” He asks tentatively. No response, not even a change in breathing or a small glance.

The doctor tells everyone to step away.

“Bibi, I don’t think-“ but Jaebeom is cut off by the body jumping up due to the shock. “You shouldn’t look at this.” 

“If I don’t look at it…” Her voice is so small, Jaebeom needs to lean in to understand her better with the other sounds being so loud. She doesn’t turn to him and continues staring ahead to the only father figure she ever had. “If I don’t watch over him right now, then no one will and he will be all alone.” 

Jaebeom isn’t sure what to do, he looks from Bibi to the empty seats next to an older couple. The husband is feeding his wife some fruit as she seems to have her head in the clouds. 

The doctor calls for everyone to step away from the patient again and Jaebeom brings his attention back to the bed. He notices Bibi’s eyes fill with tears and her bottom lip starting to quiver silently. Her hands are in tight fists at her side and she seems to be tensing up her jaw. Instead of pushing her to go sit down again, Jaebeom simply reaches his arm around her shoulders and pulls her in slightly, leaving enough time for her to pull away should she not wish to be embraced.

“I can’t let him die alone.” Bibi whispers so quietly, Jaebeom barely hears the shakiness in her voice. He squeezes her shoulder and feels her muscle underneath relax a little. 

The doctor steps back from Ray and hands the defibrillator over to the nurse. 

“Time of death, 19:05.” The doctor steps back from the bed, for the first time glancing back at them standing there. He nods his head apologetically and signs the chart handed to him by the nurse. He comes up to them and holds out his hand to Bibi, who takes it without taking her eyes off of Ray. “My condolences.” 

He nodded again and walked away just like that. Jaebeom looks after him in shock and spots Jinyoung standing by the reception counter. He shakes his head and Jinyoung curses to himself, before running his hand through his hair. 

“Excuse me, are you his daughter?” A nurse walks up to Bibi who can’t look away from her boss’ now dead body. 

Bibi’s eyes struggle to focus on anything and she grabs onto the hem of Jaebeom’s jacket as she feels her throat closing in and her lungs struggling to take in air. She starts sinking to the ground, still holding onto him and dragging him down with her. He quickly wraps his arms around her to hold her up, but lets her sink to the ground until they are both sitting there in each other’s arms. 

People start to look at them. Other patients and their families turn their heads to see where the noise is coming from, her loud sobs overpowering the sound of machines. The nurse looks at them with empathy and urges them to move just a little bit closer to Ray’s bed so she can draw the curtain behind them. Jaebeom shuffles Bibi along with him, before they disappear behind the thin wall. Now trapped with Ray’s lifeless body.

Bibi’s cries are muffled by Jaebeom’s shoulder, which is now soaked in her tears. He holds her as close as possible, but the way her body is shaking and her heart is breaking, makes it hard for him to keep it together.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI

“Thank you so much for coming.” Ray’s eldest daughter, Kira, says for the hundredth time today. After the twentieth handshake she started wondering why her father had so many friends. She looks around the funeral room, searching for her sister who is sitting next to a handsome young man. Sol looks quite uncomfortable dealing with the drunk girl. Kira sighs. “Excuse me.” 

Kira steps away from the front and makes her way over to her sister’s drunken scene. People are looking now. 

Bibi is wearing all black and her face is pale and puffy from crying. She is looking down at the two drinks she doesn’t want to spill, but her hands are shaking. She doesn’t see Kira walk up to their table and bumps into her. Thankfully, only a little of the drink spills out.

“I’m so sorry… Let me…” Bibi puts the glasses down on the table and goes to grab the napkin lying there, but Sol is faster. He jumps up, glad at the excuse to put some distance between himself and the grieving girl sitting next to him. He wipes off the spilled drink from Kira’s arm, who looks less than amused. She clenches her jaw. 

“You’re a barista and you can’t even walk without spilling?” Sol’s hand freezes, flabbergasted at the words that have just come out of Kira’s mouth. He retracts and sits back down, now welcoming the strange daughter over the cold one. 

“I’m really sorry Kira. I didn’t see you there.” Bibi says so quietly, Sol’s heart breaks looking at her. 

“Whatever. Holly, what are you doing?” 

Bibi takes a seat opposite Holly. She looks around for Mel but can’t see her anywhere. 

“What do you mean? I’m just trying to enjoy myself.” Holly stumbles to her feat drunkenly almost falling over Sol, but his fast reflexes catch on before she face plants in his lap. He helps her stand and let’s go once she looks stable. Holly puts her hands on her hips.

“This is not the place to be enjoying yourself.” Kira says through gritted teeth, forcing a fake smiles so the people around them wouldn’t catch on.

“You don’t need to tell me what kind of place this is.” Holly points a finger at her sister, but her blurry vision makes it so she is pointing to a spot at the wall instead. People giggle.

“Apparently I do, let’s take this outside.” Kira grabs Holly’s hand, which is still in the hair, and pulls her out of the room. Sol looks after them and let’s out a loud sigh. 

“Finally. I thought I would have to put up with her all day.” Sol tries to lighten the mood and shakes out his arm, as if it had fallen asleep. 

“She just lost her dad, cut her some slack.” Bibi mumbles with a sad smile.   
The funeral room was set out with multiple tables filled with people wearing black. Most of the men had loosened their ties already and toasted to Ray more times than would be considered appropriate, but no one said anything. No one dared, because Ray was their most valued friend. He always had so much love to give the people around him, it is only right to toast to him and show him their respect the best way they can before moving on. 

At every table sits a new story of Ray’s that Bibi hadn’t heard yet, but she can’t bring herself to go over and hear them. She isn’t ready to smile and laugh about Ray’s crazy life. The day will come, but for now she just wants to grieve quietly and in pain. 

Sol shifts uncomfortably. He hates silence. Growing up in a big family, he never knew what a quiet day looked like so he has always been curious. But on a day like this, silence is part of the schedule. He reaches out his hand and squeezes Bibi’s for a little bit. She shakes her head.

“He really liked you, you know?” Bibi whispers, tears welling up in her eyes. 

“I know. I really liked him too.” Sol smiles as Bibi puts her other hand over his and squeezes it back. “The way he talked about you, I thought you were his daughter at the start.”

They laugh at that. It was a sad laugh. One filled with remorse and sadness, but a laugh nonetheless. 

“A lot of people say that. But we really don’t look alike.” Bibi points to the picture of Ray standing at the front of the room and then at her face. 

“I know he saw you as a daughter though. He never said it, but I have many sisters you know?” Bibi bites her lip, holding in tears. 

“I miss him…” She looks down at their intertwined hands and a tear falls onto Sol’s wrist. He takes his hand away and stands up to go give her a hug. 

“I know.” He says as he places his arm around her shoulder and lets her quietly cry for as long as she needs.

After a while, Bibi heads out to the bathroom to freshen up only to find Holly and Kira having a hushed argument in the stairs. Unsure what she just walked into, Bibi goes to leave and take the lift instead, but Holly’s words stop her right in her tracks.

“I knew she had him wrapped around her little finger. I’ve been telling you for months that she was seducing him…” Despite the words being slurred, Bibi let the door close behind herself. The noise alerted the two sisters to her presence. She goes down one flight, where they are arguing. 

Bibi’s hands are forming fits at the side of her body. How dare they badmouth Ray right now? 

“What did you just say?” Bibi steps up to Holly, who stumbles back against the wall, but doesn’t seem phased by the invasion of personal space. Instead Holly laughs once then pushes Bibi away with her index finger. 

“What is it to you?” Holly asks in a threatening tone. Kira just rolls her eyes and steps back with her arms crossed over her chest. 

“Mel did nothing to justify the things you just said!” Anger is rising in Bibi making her blood boil at the thought of anyone insulting her friend like that. Holly laughs again.

“Oh, Mel wasn’t the slut I was talking about.” Holly steps forward, now her nose is almost touching Bibi’s. A flicker of confusion passes Bibi’s face, which makes Holly smirk. “Do you really think we’d believe your innocent act? We can all see right through you.” Holly pushes Bibi again, taking advantage of her confusion. Bibi doesn’t react fast enough and falls to the ground. 

Kira steps in and holds Holly back, before she can get any closer to Bibi. 

“We will settle this at the will hearing. Calm down.” Kira says quietly to Holly. “Come on.” Kira pulls Holly with her back up the stairs.

“This isn’t over, bitch. I swear, if he left you anything, we will fight you with all we have!” Holly shouts before the door slams behind them and Bibi is left alone. 

She is sitting perfectly still, unable to even form a coherent thought to explain what just happened. Her and Ray? Ray was like a father to her… Why would anyone think that of her? She never did anything to justify being accused of being a gold digger. 

Shocked and unable to stop the tears from spilling out again, Bibi breaks down in tears. Completely alone in the staircase, she lets it all out. She holds her knees to her chest and sobs into them uncontrollably. She doesn’t need to hide the pain if no one is watching. She doesn’t need to be strong all the time and right now she doesn’t want to be. 

She wipes the tears of her cheeks with the back of her hand, still sobbing and hiccupping from the lack of oxygen. But despite the shaking hands and the uncontrolled breathing, she gets up. She pushes off the cold ground and gets to her feet. She might not be steady or confident that she’ll make it far, but for now that’s enough. 

When she steps into the bathroom, she immediately leans against the door and lets out another sob. Bibi hears a sniffle, but isn’t sure it’s coming from her. She steps around the corner towards the cubicles and follows the sound to the last door. She pushes it open to find Meg sitting on the closed toilet seat, her head in her hands. 

Mel looks up as the door hits the wall, revealing her red face covered in tears and smudged mascara. Bibi immediately steps into the cubicle and closes the door behind her. This time she locks it and falls to the ground against it. They sit there for a while, holding hands and crying. Right now is for hurting, tomorrow can be for healing. Or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI

“I don’t know either. She hasn’t picked up once in the past two days.” Jaebeom falls back onto the sofa. 

Jinyoung looks at him from the other end while drinking a can of beer. 

“She must be really upset, just give her some time.” He takes another sip then puts it down on the coffee table. “Did you think about it?” 

Jaebeom groans loudly in frustration. Jinyoung chuckles. 

“You know they will only keep pushing more until you tell them what you plan to do.” Jinyoung leans back just as Nora jumps on his lap. 

Jaebeom knows he’s right. He knows that everyone is just waiting for him to tell them what he wants to do to solve the issue, but he can’t make that decision without involving Bibi. Not again. 

“Do you really think they will publish the article?” Jaebeom asks, despite knowing the answer. He can be naïve for a minute and have some hope, even if he knows that it’s pointless. Jinyoung doesn’t look up from Nora.

“Every new year’s, bro.” Jinyoung picks up the cat and rubs its nose to his. “Like clockwork. This year it’s you.” Nora wiggles out of his grip and runs off.

“Bibi did nothing wrong, they can’t just ruin her life like that.” Jaebeom sighs. He doesn’t want to have to deal with this anymore. 

“Is dating you really that bad?” Jinyoung jokes, but before he can stop it, a pillow hits him in the face. “Calm down!” He laughs. 

Jaebeom smiles from the other side of the couch. 

“What do you think I should do?” He turns his head over to look at his friend, but Jinyoung just stares at the ceiling. 

“That really depends on how much you like her an-“

“A lot. I like her a lot.” 

“Let me finish will you!” Jaebeom bites his lips and nods his head. “It depends on how much you like her but also how much she likes you. Revealing your relationship is a big deal. There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with it. Do you think she’ll want it?” 

Jaebeom sighs again and rubs his eyes. He leans forward and puts his head in his hands, ruffling through his hair. “This isn’t fair.” He mumbles. “We shouldn’t have to deal with this. She shouldn’t have to deal with this.”   
He gets up and leaves the room, quietly swearing to himself while rubbing the back of his neck. 

His phone begins vibrating on the coffee table. JInyoung looks up and reaches for it.

“Jaebeom! Your phone is ringing!” He shouts across the apartment. 

“Who is it?” Jinyoung hears back from the kitchen. He turns the phone around revealing the caller ID to be Bibi. 

“It’s her!” Jinyoung answers and stands up to meet him halfway.

Jaebeom comes running into the living room and hits the phone out of Jinyoung’s hand. They both watch as it falls to the ground dramatically. Their eyes meet and for a second they are frozen, before they start laughing. Jaebeom picks it up and wipes the screen. He goes to press the green button when the ringing stops.

“She hung up…” Unable to hide the disappointment in his voice or his face, Jinyoung gives him a couple of pets on the shoulder. “I should call back right?”

Just then the phone rings again. Jaebeom immediately picks up without checking the ID.

“Bibi? I’m so glad you called, how is everything?” He stumbles over his words out of fear their call will be cut short. He wants to hear her voice and he wants to hear that she is okay more than anything else right now.

Jaebeom’s face drops at the voice that answers him on the phone. Jinyoung picks up the magazine lying on the coffee table, Jaebeom gracing its cover, and sits back down on the couch to read. 

“Mister Park. I wasn’t expecting your call.” Jinyoung’s eyes snap up from the magazine in shock. 

“Park?” He mouths to Jaebeom in disbelief. The latter nods nervously. 

“No, no. Please, I have a few minutes. What is this about?” He steps away to go back to the kitchen for some privacy. 

Jinyoung’s eyes are still wide and the magazine has long been discarded to the floor now, Jaebeom’s face facing the ground. The doorbell rings. Jinyoung’s wide eyes snap to the intercom and Jaebeom stops in his tracks. He agrees with a low mhm to whatever Mister Park is saying on the phone, but his head turns to the door. He nods at Jinyoung to go get it. 

Jinyoung gets up and gasps loudly at the screen. He turns to Jaebeom and mouths “Bibi!” but Jaebeom has already gone to the kitchen. 

Jinyoung starts panicking. He can’t let her leave without seeing Jaebeom or him at least knowing she is here and he can’t open the door either, because she is expecting Jaebeom. He takes a few steps towards the kitchen to get him, but notices on the camera that Bibi seems to be turning to leave. She can’t leave. So he hurries to the front door and throws it open. 

“Bibi! Hi!” Jinyoung says with an awkward smile on his lips. She tries to return a smile, but barely manages to lift the corners of her lips, let alone lift her eyes to meet his. 

“Hey… is Jaebeom home?” She asks.

“Yeah, he is! He’s just on the phone with our… boss.” Jinyoung steps aside to let her in but she doesn’t move from her spot. He notices the plastic bag she is holding and her hanging shoulders. “How are you holding up? I am really sorry for your loss.” 

This time she meets his eyes and gives nods in gratitude. “I am sometimes holding up and sometimes not so much. I wanted to thank you for your help… that day. You didn’t have to help get me home. That was really considerate.” 

“Don’t even mention it. It was mostly Jaebeom anyway, I just held your bag.” She chuckles lowly, easing the tension a little. “Don’t you want to come in?” 

She shakes her head. 

“I’ll just leave this with you. I don’t want to disturb his call.” She holds out her hand with the plastic bag. “Come on, I can’t hold it like this forever. My arm will snap off.”

Jinyoung chuckles and takes it from her. 

“He’ll really hate it if he misses you. Please stay.” Jinyoung pleads looking back at the closed kitchen door. 

“I should really go.” She turns to walk away, but stops herself. “Everything I have to say, is written in there.” She nods a goodbye, before disappearing down the corridor. 

Jinyoung hesitates to close the door. He opens the bag and takes out the book inside. I will hold your heart by Kim Jihoon. Jaebeom comes out of the kitchen, phone in hand. 

“The audacity of this man…” He looks up and sees Jinyoung standing by the front door, book in hand. “What are you doing?” 

“Good! You’re done! Bibi just gave me this and then left. What does it mean?” Jinyoung hands him the book. “She said everything she has to say is written in here.” 

Jaebeom’s face drops and he rips the book open. 

Please stop calling me.   
I am so sorry, I just can’t see  
you right now.   
-Bibi

Jaebeom drops the book and starts running after her. She could’ve broken up with him over text or email or phone call, but how dare she break up with him over book message? Something that was so sweet in their relationship, now overshadowed by the pain these three lines shot through his heart. 

He hits the lift button repeatedly but it doesn’t hurry up. He takes the stairs and runs out of breath after ten floors. Only four to go, he can do it. 

When he steps outside though, he only sees her head disappear in a taxi. He shouts her name but she is already too far away. He won’t be able to catch up, but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t try. They didn’t even have a chance to really figure themselves out. This isn’t fair, he won’t give up. 

So despite being exhausted from running down thirteen flights of stairs, he continues. He doesn’t stop once the taxi is out of sight, he just keeps going. The pain too great to stop. If he stops, it’ll be real. If he stops now, it’ll be too painful to hold on. 

Back at the apartment, Jinyoung opens the book filled with messages. He reads them all until he gets to the very last one, the one that holds the most pain and sorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI

“What do you mean it’s closed?” Bibi pushes past Mel to try and open the door, but she can’t get into the coffee shop. “Do you have your key?” 

Mel rolls her eyes. “I’ve tried that already. It looks like the locks were changed…” 

Bibi frowns, unsure what to do next. Mel sighs at the sight of Sol coming down the promenade with a big smile on his face. He reads the confusion on Bibi’s face and speeds up a little bit.

“What’s going on?” He asks as soon as he steps up towards the coffee shop.

“The door is locked.” Bibi states.

“Did you try-“

“Yes!” “Yes!” The two women say at the same time. Sol raises his hands and shakes his head.

“Have you tried calling Kira?” Sol asks and the women turn to him curiously. “Yeah, she is in charge of the shop now.”

“What?” Bibi looks dumbfounded. 

“She told me at the funeral when you went to the bathroom.” 

“But the will reading isn’t until tomorrow. How would she know that?” Bibi tries to open the door again, wiggling her own key. “Damn it.” She kicks the bottom of the door, but instantly regrets it as pain shoots into her foot. She groans. 

“She’s his daughter. Of course he would leave her his shop.” Mel nods but it seems she said it more to herself than them. 

“I can call her now and see what she says?” Sol offers, already pulling out his phone from his pocket. 

He goes to dial the number, but Kira and Holly come walking down the promenade. They aren’t paying attention to the three employees standing by the door and seem engrossed in whatever conversation they are having.

“Oh look!” Sol points to Ray’s daughters walking towards them nonchalantly. Bibi’s facial expression instantly turns sour and she almost moves to stand behind Mel, but stops herself from taking the step. She isn’t going to hide from them, because that would be admitting defeat. And admitting defeat could make them think that there is truth to their statements before. So she will stand her ground and keep her head up high. She has nothing to be ashamed of. 

“What are you guys doing here?” Kira asks when she finally looks up. They stop in their tracks and look form the three employees to the door. 

“We came to work, what does it look like?” Mel snaps back. 

“We are closed for the time being.” Kira calmly answers back, then looks to Bibi. “If you don’t mind.” She smiles almost warmly. Bibi nods and steps out of the way, closer to Sol. 

Kira unlocks the door and walks into the dark coffee shop closely followed by Holly. The three share a look of uncertainty before also going inside. Holly turns on all the lights, while Kira makes her way behind the counter to open the register. 

“If you guys still have any valuables or important things in the staff room, please go get them now. We aren’t sure when we will be back in business or if we will be back in business.” Kira says as she pushes open the register and starts taking out the money.

“Or if you’ll still be working here…” Holly mutters under her breath as she passes by Bibi with a smirk. Bibi clenches her fists but just shakes her head. Sol puts his hand on her shoulder and starts leading her to the staff room, leaving Mel behind who seems to have frozen in place. 

The two of them are already halfway to the staff room door when they hear something slam to the ground. They turn around expecting it to be something Kira dropped, only to see Mel standing next to the book shelf and over ten books discarded on the floor. Her face is flushed red in anger as she kicks one of the books out of her way.

“How dare you waltz in here and take the money your father earned?” Mel spits out angrily. 

“Well it is the money our father earned, as you said.” Holly chimes in from one of the tables by the front. She leans back on her seat and her feet are propped up on the opposite chair. 

Mel kicks another book in her direction and it slides to a stop right next to her table. Holly jumps up and rushes over to Mel.

“How dare you come in here and pretend you are entitled to any of this?” Mel fires back. Everything in her is short-circuiting. Ray worked for years to build up his businesses. Some have failed, some succeeded but the only one that was always a constant in his life was this coffee shop. And Mel will be damned if they think they can just take it away. “This is his legacy.” 

Bibi wiggles free of Sol’s firm hand on her shoulder. He must’ve not noticed how tightly he was holding onto her until she squirmed out of his grip. It was too late to stop her from joining the fight, so he swears under his breath and runs a hand through his hair. 

“Mel, stop.” Bibi whispers quietly, leaving both Mel and Sol perplexed. “Let’s get our stuff and get out of here for now.” 

“I can’t…” Mel starts.   
“Yes, we can. Tomorrow we will see if they actually own this place now or not.” Bibi takes a hold of Mel’s hand and begins pulling her out of the mess of books. 

Holly steps in their way and smirks at Bibi. “You are one sneaky bitch. My father would never have left you this place. So stop dreaming, you are nothing. We are his family.” 

“Funny how since I started here, you never even came by then.” Bibi keeps a straight face and tries to walk past Holly again, whose smirk has dropped. Her arms are crossed and she is looking at Bibi like a tiger at its prey. “I think you lost the right to call yourself his family when you chose Cabo over Christmas.” 

Holly’s hand raises so quickly, no one has the time to interfere. Sol takes several fast steps forward but can’t reach them before she brings her hand down and towards Bibi’s face. Mel instinctively pushes Bibi out of the way, causing her to stumble into a chair and hit her hip on the table. Holly’s hand strikes Mel’s face with a loud smacking sound. 

“Holly, back off.” Kira shouts from behind the counter, but her voice simply echoes through the deadly silent room. 

Sol steps between Holly and Mel. He looks over to Bibi, concern showing on his face. He reaches out his hand to her as she is pushing down on her hip in pain. 

“You okay?” He asks. She waves him off. He looks behind himself and sees Mel’s jaw clench. She blows the strand of her off her face and turns her eyes to meet his. He gulps. 

“Get out of my way.” Mel’s tone brings chills to Sol’s body and Holly’s eyes widen. She takes a shaky step back. 

“Mel, now don’t be hasty.” Holly takes another step back and looks to Sol almost pleading him not to move out of the way. Sol shrugs as he steps aside for Mel to go by. The latter pushes up her sleeves and slowly walks towards Holly. 

“Did you just try and lay a hand on my friend?” Mel asks in a threateningly calm tone. The tiger now looks like a scared kitten. 

“Hey, it was a-“ 

“An accident? You didn’t mean to?” Mel and Holly are still moving in perfect sync. Behind Holly, the counter, on which Kira is leaning exasperated, is coming closer. Holly reaches it. Her eyes widen at the cold feeling of it pressing into the small of her back. “Then you should apologise.” 

“Mel-“ Kira tries to interrupt but Mel brings her hand up to stop her.

“You aren’t involved in this.” 

Kira raises her eyebrows. “This is my shop. So I am very much involved in this. Step back from her.”   
Holly doesn’t dare move, even with her sister’s support. Mel doesn’t back down, instead she simply places her hands on the counter on each side of Holly and leans in to her ear, so only she can hear her. 

“I’m not as stupid as you. I won’t hit you. I have three witnesses and CCTV.” Mel steps back and gives Holly a scarily sweet smile. “See you in court.” 

Holly’s mouth drops open and she turns to Kira for help. Kira just shrugs and goes back to clearing out the register. 

Mel gestures for Sol and Bibi to follow her to the staff room.

“Aren’t you going to clean this up before you go?” Kira asks absentmindedly.

“I think Holly was about to take care of that.” Mel winks at her before closing the door behind them.

Once the door closes, Mel’s hand immediately shoots to her face and she let’s out a loud sigh. 

“Mel! That was so badass.” Sol puts his hand up for a high five, which Mel gladly gives him with a chuckle. 

“Don’t you ever think of doing anything like that.” Mel ruffles his hair, but the pride in his eyes made up for the pain coming from her cheek. 

“Thanks.” Bibi mumbles and pulls Mel in for a hug. Both of them wince in pain and they laugh. “Let’s get our things and then get the hell out of here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI

Sol, Mel and Bibi are sitting at their favourite BBQ place. The meat is sizzling away in front of them, but neither of them moves to turn it around. As it slowly burns away on the grill, Bibi plays with her empty glass. Sol snaps out of it and quickly saves the meat from turning to a crisp. 

They are staring at the table, still flabbergasted at the outcome of today’s meeting. Bibi keeps running it back in her head, but it makes no sense. They didn’t expect to be left with anything. 

“Are you gonna eat that?” Sol asks Bibi and points to the cold piece of grilled meat in her bowl. She doesn’t lift her gaze to meet his, but shakes her head slowly. He reaches over with the tong and brings it straight to his mouth. Neither of them will be eating by the looks of it, so why wouldn’t eat straight from the tong? 

“He really said?” Mel mumbles to herself. Bibi raises her eyebrows and nods. 

A couple of hours prior, Mel and Bibi are standing in front of Ray’s lawyer’s office trying to gather enough confidence to walk in with their heads held high. Unsure why they were even invited here in the first place, they barely got any sleep last night talking on the phone. There are definitely crazier things that have happened to them before, but this seems pretty out there. The only reason they would be invited here would be if Ray had actually left them something and if so, neither of them have the faintest clue what it could be. 

“Ready?” Bibi asks but her voice is so shaky, it’s like she is asking herself. 

Mel raises her hand to knock on the door, just as it opens and reveals an older gentleman in a suit. To make herself feel more at ease, Bibi decided to name him Penguin man right there. That should take the anxiety away a little bit. 

“We’ve been waiting for you, please come in.” He steps out of the way and gestures for the two of them to go in.

From the door, Bibi could see both Holly and Kira sitting at a very long table. Next to them sits what they later find out to be their own lawyer. Maybe Bibi and Mel should’ve brought a lawyer? But what for, there is nothing to negotiate anyway.

Sol snaps his fingers in front of Mel’s face. “Earth to Mel!” 

Mel shakes her head and she is back at the restaurant.

“What?” She finally looks at him, causing him to frown. 

“What the hell happened to you two?” Sol puts the tong down next to the now empty grill. The thump of the utensil also brings Bibi out of her trance and she rubs her eyes. 

“Hey, who ate all the meat?” Bibi asks looking around the table for any more uncooked meat, but finding only vegetables there. 

“I did. About five minutes ago.” Sol says in an annoyed tone. He didn’t come out to see his friends after a hard day, to be completely ignored. “Had you actually paid attention…” He mumbles more to himself, but Bibi’s expression turns apologetic. 

“Should we order some more then?” Mel asks, but already has her hand in the air looking around for the waiter. “Excuse me?” She spots the waiter and repeats herself, before holding up two fingers. “Two more servings please!” He nods at her and disappears into the kitchen.

“Are you gonna tell me what happened? Or should I keep guessing?” Sol impatiently rolls his eyes.

“Wow calm down big boy.” Mel pushes him jokingly in the side and chuckles. “Bibi, do you wanna tell him?” Bibi smiles brightly. 

“Well you know how we always told you that Ray was way more than a boss to us?” Sol nods, but the confusion still shows on his face. “And remember how you said it seemed like we were more like daughters to him?” 

“Yes I can, now cut to the chase.” 

Bibi looks to Mel and starts laughing. Mel quickly joins in and people start to stare at them. Tears fall from their eyes they are laughing so hard. Sol considers getting up and leaving, but he is too curious to know what happened. They’ll stop beating around the bus eventually right?

“Guys!” Sol speaks loudly and suddenly, breaking them out of their hysterics. 

“Well, you are looking at the new owner of our coffee shop.” Bibi says and holds up her hand to point at Mel. She bursts out laughing again at how ridiculous that sounds. 

“You’re kidding?” Sol asks hesitantly, unsure if their reaction is betraying an elaborate prank or if they are speaking the truth. But Bibi shakes her head and when he looks to Mel, she just shrugs laughing. “You’re serious?” The corners of Sol’s lips curl up to a wide grin.

The waiter puts the meat platters on the table and turns to leave again, but Sol stops him. 

“Please bring us three beers. We have something to celebrate.” The waiter couldn’t care less. He turns just turns around and sighs, wanting to be anywhere but here, but alas capitalism. “So what does that mean?” 

“First that means, I have to do a refresher on my business degree.” Mel jokes and starts stacking meat on the grill. “But we can open again as soon as the legalities are taken care of.”   
“And you?” Sol asks looking at Bibi.

“Mhm?” 

“What did you get?” Sol asks curiously. Bibi swallows the rice she just put in her mouth. 

“I got 50% of the coffee shop.” Sol drops his fork. 

“So you two are my bosses now?” He asks kind of scared. Bibi slaps his arm, almost knocking the waiter off his feet as he brings over the beer. She nods apologetically and moves back some of the bowls to make space for the glasses. “Thanks.” Sol says cheerfully. “I’m just joking duh.” 

“I don’t even know if I want to keep it…” Bibi mutters and raises her glass. “To Ray and his crazy ways even beyond the grave.” 

“To Ray!” “To Ray!” Both Sol and Mel join in and they touch their glasses.

“What happens if you don’t keep it?” Sol follows up. Bibi takes a gulp of her beer and sighs. 

“Well it is mine if I sign the papers. But if I don’t sign them, then it will go to his children.” Mel shudders next to Sol at Bibi’s word. 

“Please don’t do that to me. Imagine having to work 50/50 with those two buffoons.” 

“Maybe they will try and buy it off of you?” Sol suggests. 

“I don’t wanna think about it right now. Let’s just celebrate Ray and eat.” Bibi grabs the tong out of Mel’s hand and starts turning the meat on the grill. 

There isn’t much she can do right now anyway. Thinking about it would just lead to worrying and worrying would lead to taking apart more of the webs she has created in her life, which would ultimately lead to missing him. She doesn’t want to miss him right now. She doesn’t want to miss him ever. This time is for Ray and for honouring his memory, not for heartbreak and self pity. To Ray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI

“What?” Kira stands up and pushes her chair back so hard it hits the wall. 

Mel and Bibi’s eyes widen in surprised at the words that just left Penguin man’s mouth. The coffee shop has been left to the both of them. Mel knows that Ray always saw Bibi as his child and took extra good care of her. When she was sick, he would make sure she went home early and bring her medicine. He even made her soup a couple of times, but had Mel deliver it so she wouldn’t know it’s from him. Mel, of course, has always been sworn to secrecy by him. 

Mel hates people, but she always had a sweet spot for the old man. He was everything she needed in a friend and older brother. Everyone at the shop has always been considered family in her heart. She didn’t expect any of this. She had thought that he probably left Bibi something, but even there the coffee shop seems quite a big thing to leave her.

But he left half of it to her? Mel can’t believe it. She isn’t an emotional woman, but tears are welling up in her eyes. Her quiet shock is contrasted by Bibi’s shriek. She grabs the paper out of Penguin man’s hand and reads over the part again. 

“To my dear friends, Melanie Houston and Bi…” BIbi zooms over the phrase skipping all the boring stuff. “… I leave each 50% of my promenade estate, in hopes that they find some happiness in the coffee shop we all love so much.” Bibi chokes up at the end of her sentence and drops the paper. Penguin man takes it back quickly, visibly annoyed that she snatched it from him in the first place. 

“That’s outrageous. Why would he do that?” Holly asks Penguin man furiously.

Under the table, Bibi reaches for Mel’s hand and notices Mel’s leg is shaking. She looks over to her friend and notices the shocked expression and tears in her eyes. Unsure how to deal with this side of Mel, who is always tough and ready to beat everyone up, Bibi just squeezes her hand three times. Once asking if she is okay. Twice to tell her she isn’t alone. Three times to add a quiet I love you. Mel looks down and puts her other hand on top of Bibi’s and squeezes back three times with a small smile.

“Your father contacted me to change his will. He didn’t tell me the reasoning.” Penguin man says to Holly and Kira. Holly leans back and crosses her arms. “But everything else has gone to you two. His three real estates in Paris-“ 

Bibi jumps up from the park bench. 

“Hey, what happened after that? The story isn’t finished yet!” Sol exclaims unhappy with the abrupt interruption to Bibi’s retelling of the previous events. He watches her stumble over to the swing set. 

They had come all the way to the coffee shop to admire their new building. How crazy is that? They now own a building. Who even knows if they can afford it? 

Sol tries to take a hold of Bibi’s arm to help her walk, but she drunkenly shakes him off. The light in the coffee shop turns off and Mel closes the door behind her, holding a bottle of water. 

“Didn’t they change the locks?” Sol asks confused when Mel finally comes over to them. Bibi now attempting to use the swing without falling over or throwing up.

“Since it’s not their property, they had no right to do that. So they handed over the keys.” Mel winks at him. “Sweet justice.” 

Mel leans down in front of Bibi and brings her to a stop.

“Mel! Hi! I love you. Did you know that?” Bibi grabs Mel’s face and squishes her cheeks together. 

“Yes I know I know.” Mel pushes Bibi’s hands off her face and opens the water bottle. “Drink some of this.” 

Bibi takes it without question and gulps down half the bottle. 

“What should we do with her? Take her home.” Sol chimes him leaning against the side of the bench.

“Probab-“ Mel starts, but Bibi’s phone rings then. 

Bibi takes it out of her pocket clumsily and starts smiling widely. 

“Aw look at his pretty face. Can you believe this guy likes me? Crazy.” Bibi holds up her phone to show them the caller ID. 

“Maybe we should let fate take her home tonight.” Mel jokes but takes the phone off Bibi.

“Hey!” She resists but instantly falls off the swing. “ouch.” 

Mel laughs at her but gestures for Sol to take care of it, so she could take the call.

“Are you okay?” Sol asks as he picks up Bibi from the ground. But she is just laughing uncontrollably. 

“Did you see that? I just went poof.” Bibi laughs in his face. “You are very handsome, Sir. Do you come here often?” She flirts and leans her hand against the swing rope, instantly falling over again. Sol can’t catch her and she goes to the ground again like a sack of potatoes. She laughs. “Again? Gravity is messing me over tonight.” 

Sol picks her up again but this time doesn’t put her down until he reaches the bench. He points to it and she sits down obediently. 

“You’re right, I am very handsome.” Sol jokingly flirts back.   
Mel joins them and hands Bibi her phone. Bibi is hit with a sudden rush of exhaustion and slupms back against the bench with her eyes closed. 

Mel turns to Sol with a very serious look on her face.

“You need to leave.” She says point blank. 

“What do you mean? Shouldn’t we take her home?” Sol responds in confusion.

“Her boyfriend… well her something is coming and I told him it’s just the two of us, so he has to carry her home for me.” She explains and already pulls him up to leave. “And if you’re here, then I look like a liar. I am just trying to play cupid. Please just go.” 

Sol rolls his eyes but gives in. 

“Fine, but I will stand over there until he gets here.” He points to the slide, where he can hide behind the climbing wall and still fully see the both of them. “I am not leaving the two of you at a playground in the middle of the night.”

“Ew, fine.” Mel pushes him in that direction and only hears him chuckle as he walks away.

Jaebeom drops Bibi on her bed and Mel makes sure she doesn’t hit her head on the pillow too hard. He rubs his shoulder and groans a little in pain from carrying Bibi for twenty minutes, before and after the taxi ride. 

“Good thing her flatmate was in.” Mel says as she takes off Bibi’s jacket. “How could she forget her keys and go out drinking?” 

“Should I…?” Jaebeom points to Bibi’s shoes and Mel raises her eyebrows, but nods at him. 

He leans down to take them off for her and then slides them under the thrown back duvet. 

“I need to go talk to Tay, can you put her to bed alone?” Mel asks, but she is already on her feet and out the door before he can answer.

“Sure.” He mumbles to himself, before putting his arm behind Bibi’s shoulders and lifting her closer to him. He is just moving her more inward when she opens her eyes and looks straight into his. How beautiful, he thinks, but quickly focuses on the task at hand. He’s not here to win her back. He’s here as a friend to help out. Winning her back will be for tomorrow, when she isn’t drunk off her ass. 

“I like your face.” She whispers. Her breath reeks of alcohol, but he still puts her down slowly. He wiggles his arm out from beneath her and sits up straight. He coughs uncomfortably. 

“Do you want some water?” He asks her and looks around for the water bottle Mel brought in. He picks it up and hands it to her. 

“I’m so glad you came. But don’t tell Jaebeom, cause I was a bit of a meany to him.” She takes a zip of the almost empty bottle and then hands it back to him. “You know, I’m going through a hard time right now. He shouldn’t have to deal with me and my sadness.” 

She slurs her words, but that doesn’t make them hurt any less. He puts the lid back on the bottle trying to think of the right thing to say, but he beats her to it.

“I don’t want him to feel as alone as I do right now. I’ll be okay.” She adds quietly, a sob building up in her throat. Seeing her like this, falling apart slowly and by herself, caused the tear in his heart to deepen. He gets why she told him to stay away, but he really wishes he could’ve already been there for her through all this.

“You know, being alone isn’t a bad thing. Wanting to be alone is also not a bad thing. But don’t mistake being alone with being lonely. You don’t need to push me away to be alone. I can wait. I will wait. But please don’t make me leave.” 

“I’m scared…” Bibi whispers, tears streaming down her face. “What if I never feel okay again?” 

Jaebeom sits up straight and puts his hand on hers. 

“Everything passes. Maybe not tomorrow, or the day after, or the week after. But everything evolves in its own way.” Bibi turns her hand around and intertwines her fingers with his. He smiles sadly. “And however long it might take for you to be in a good place again, that’s how long I will wait. So take your time. Eat well. Sleep well. Cut yourself some slack and be patient.” 

“You’re so nice. Did I ever tell you how nice you are? I really like nice people.” Bibi blabbers and pushes her index finger in his cheek. He doesn’t move away and instead wipes the tears off of her cheeks for her, before slowly pushing her head down into her pillow. 

“You’re right, I am nice. You break my heart and I still come running like a puppy.” He jokes half-heartedly. 

“Mhm, I like puppies.” Bibi snuggles into her pillow and closes her eyes. 

Jaebeom covers her with the duvet and looks at her a couple of seconds longer. He missed her. Even if it had just been a couple of days. Not talking to her had been complete agony. He managed to respect her wishes for almost a full day before cracking and calling her anyway. He didn’t expect an answer and he surely didn’t expect the answer that he got. But he was glad to have been given the opportunity to talk to her, be it a drunk version of her. 

He moves a loose hair strand away from her forehead and gets up. He reaches the door and switches the lights off, when he hears her mumble in her sleep.

“And I really like you…” He hears her whisper, unsure if it is real or if his brain just really wanted her to say that to him. He bites his lip and closes the door.

In the living room, Mel is waiting for him. 

“Thanks for carrying her. There’s no way I could’ve done it.” She smiles at him warmly. “I don’t know what happened between you two, but I do hope you can work it out.” 

“Yeah. Me too.” He crosses the living room and heads towards the front door.

“Come on, I’ll take you home too.” He calls quietly over his shoulder. 

“You don’t have to.” Mel declines. 

“I’m not gonna let you walk around by yourself. It’s really no bother.” Jaebeom smiles at her sweetly and opens the front door to let her out. Mel doesn’t resist and walks out of Bibi’s apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI

Bibi is wiping the windows clean top to bottom and polishing the glasses on the shelves. They decided to do a full deep clean of the entire shop, to see what was still in stock and also get rid of anything that is taking up unnecessary space. 

Sol is thoroughly cleaning the floors with a huge bucket of bubbly soap water, just waiting for the right moment to strike Mel who is currently taking apart the coffee machine. All these bubbles can’t go to waste on the floor. They must be used for war. He smiles evilly to himself as he continues mopping the floor around the counter. 

Bibi checks if the floor is still wet before putting down the chairs from the tables in the other corner. She wipes them again to make sure none of the dust from the chairs stayed on the surface and shouts over the blasting music. 

“Should I wash the vases?” No one hears her. Mel is bopping her head to the pop song playing and Sol is dramatically lip syncing using the mop as a microphone. 

Bibi turns around to check if she caught anyone’s attention, but bursts out laughing at Sol instead. 

“Guys!” She tries again, but the music is still too loud. Instead of going over the speaker to turn it down, Bibi sits down in the chair she just moved to the ground and enjoys the show Sol is putting on. 

Sol and Mel are way too engrossed in their cleaning duties to hear that bell ring and the door open. Bibi turns her gaze over and sees Jaebeom walk in. His lips form a nervous smile. 

“We aren’t open.” Bibi says to him quietly. He grins at her and points to his ear. He can’t hear her. She gets up and moves closer to him. “We aren’t open.” 

He looks down at the ground and lets out a wee chuckle. 

“I was hoping we could talk.” He asks shyly and holds up a plastic bag from the convenience store. “I brought ice cream.” Jaebeom smiles at her widely hoping she will say yes and pushing down the fear that she might say no. She glances around to see if either of her co-workers has heard them yet, but neither even noticed. 

“Okay. But not too long.” She turns to let Mel know, but doesn’t even try to get her attention again. It didn’t work before so it won’t work now. “Let’s go.” 

Bibi picks up her jacket from the coat hanger on the wall and wraps it around her as she passes Jaebeom and steps out the door. His smile widens at the little success and he quickly follows her. She is walking fast and he almost needs to jog to catch up with her. 

Bibi takes a seat on the swing where she had fallen off of the night before. He chuckles to himself and takes a seat on the swing next to her. He reaches into the bag and hands her the coca cola ice lolly.  
“Ouh I love those!” She grabs it from him like a child given candy. Her excitement dies down as soon as she realises how much of it she openly showed him. She still isn’t sure if she actually wants to drag him around in her grief, because he doesn’t deserve that. 

“I know. You told me.” The pride shows on his face. 

“So what did you want to talk about?” What a stupid question. She regretted it the second it left her mouth, but instead of continuing to embarrass herself, she shoves the ice cream in her mouth. 

“You… Me… Us?” He jokes and starts eating his own ice cream. “I understand if you want space to grieve, but-“

“I do.” Bibi interrupts him. She turns the swing towards him and looks him in the eyes. “I think I do, anyway.”

“You think?” He asks curiously. 

“It’s just that I like you. You know, I really like you.” Bibi bursts out. “But I don’t want to drag you into this. We barely started seeing each other and you shouldn’t have to deal with my sadness. It’s not fair.” 

Jeabeom turns his head to get a better look of her face, as she lowers her gaze. 

“Do you remember last night?” He frowns. 

Bibi’s eyes shoot to his, the confusion visible on her face. Her brain goes into overdrive as she tries to remember her drunken endeavours. They went to the BBQ restaurant, then they went to buy some more alcohol to drink at the park, then they came here and then…. And then! Bibi’s eyes widen. She brings her hand to her open mouth in shock. 

“Oh my god!” She exclaims. Her cheeks turn a bright shade of pink and she hides her face behind her hands. “I am so sorry. I was so drunk.” 

“No kidding.” Jaebeom teases. “I carried you all the way to your apartment.” He pointed to his shoulder and twists it to stretch it, pretending to be in pain. 

Bibi reaches over to rub Jaebeom’s shoulder and touches his hand as she massages the muscle, totally falling for Jaebeom’s horrendous acting. But he doesn’t say anything. He just lets her rub his shoulder, because he likes the worry in her eyes more than the sadness she had shown him up until now. 

“You should’ve let Sol help you.” Bibi says still concerned. She drops her and leans back again. 

“Sol wasn’t there.” 

“Yes he was, he came out with us.” Bibi clarifies.  
“When I got there it was only Mel and you.” Jaebeom objects. 

“Strange…” Bibi frowns but doesn’t say any more to that. “Well… thanks for that. Carrying me home and all.” She picks at her fingernails anxiously. 

“No problem, that’s what boyfriends do.” Jaebeom isn’t sure why he said that, but it felt right. He does think of himself as her boyfriend, or at least the thing right before boyfriend. Whatever that might be called. He likes the sound of calling himself Bibi’s boyfriend also.

“Boy-“ Bibi stops herself, the blush returning to her face and replacing her worry instantly. “You know I meant what I said the other da-“

Jaebeom immediately interrupts her by standing up and moving in front of her. He drops down into a low squat and looks her straight in the eyes. 

“I know you meant it, but I also know you didn’t consider me at all.” 

Bibi raises her eyebrows taken aback. She didn’t expect this response or this accusation. She had in fact only been thinking about him when making this decision. 

“What?” 

“You decided for me. You didn’t ask me though.” 

Flabbergasted at his words, Bibi doesn’t know what to say. 

“I know what you did came from a good place in your heart, but you and I only just started. I’m not ready to let it go, just because you are going through something hard right now. Let me help you, or let me wait for you. I’ll do either or both.” 

“But that isn’t fair to you.” 

“I’ll decide what’s fair to me.” He adds. His tone now serious, but also soft. “I know what you are going through is really taking its toll on you, and that’s understandable. But you should ask me if I want to be there for you or if I want to run. Not just decide what I want for me.”

Bibi gives this a thought. She really hadn’t even considered asking him if he wanted to stay. She just didn’t want to inconvenience him or become a burden, when they hadn’t even been able to enjoy enough dates to move their relationship along to an exclusive level. 

“Ok… well knowing that I am currently emotionally unstable regarding many aspects in my life-“ Bibi starts, unable to look him directly in the eye. 

Her heart starts beating faster, not because she was scared of his response – no he had made that pretty clear – but because she was allowing him to see her being vulnerable. What if he sees her break down and suddenly changes his mind? The only one hurt then will be her. What if she says or does something that breaks his heart? The only one hurt then isn’t just Jaebeom, it’s also her again. How can she protect herself from hurt without letting him go? 

“Yes?” Jaebeom asks hesitantly. He wonders why she stopped, what’s going through her head and if she already decided for him again. 

“Do you… want to stay or do you want to run?” Bibi says but barely above a whisper. She looks up at him with wide teary eyes. She hates being vulnerable and she hates how easily she cries at any emotion. 

He takes a hold of her hand and instantly regrets it, as he grabs the now almost fully melted ice cream. 

“Ah shit.” He shakes his hand to get some of it off. 

“Ah shit?” Bibi jokes. “That’s your response?” 

They look at each other and start laughing. He makes sure not to get his hand to close to her as he leans down, closer to her face. 

“I’ll stay.” He whispers before crashing his lips onto hers. 

Behind them, Holly enters the coffee shop looking for a fight. Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI

Holly barges into the coffee shop, but goes unnoticed. Mel is refilling the coffee bean containers under the coffee machine and can’t see her over the counter. The music is also still too loud to allow either of them to hear the door bell ringing. 

She looks around confused, unable to see anyone. Holly aggressively chews on her gum and takes a good look around, expecting someone to come out any second. But Sol is working away mopping the staff room and toilets and Mel is minding her own business behind the counter, out of sight. 

Holly rubs her ears at the noise level and looks for the source, which she quickly finds standing on the counter. She marches over there like she owns the place and pulls the plug out of the wall. The music instantly stops and Mel looks up from her spot on the floor. 

“Bibi?” She calls, but there is no response. She stands up to find Holly standing not too far from her, holding the plug in her hand and blowing a bubble with her gum. A wide grin graces her face and she waves innocently, before dropping the cable to the floor. 

“Not Bibi. Just me.” She smiles so sweetly it looks sour. 

“What do you want?” Mel cuts right to the chase. She leans her arms on the counter to seem more threatening, hoping that Sol doesn’t hear any of this and stays far away. 

“That’s not a way to treat a customer.” Holly remarks sharply.

“We aren’t open.” Mel instantly fires back. The tension in the room rising. 

“Please get me a skinny latte with sugar free hazelnut syrup.” Holly pretends to study the menu behind Mel. “Oh and make that iced.” 

“As I said, we aren’t open.” Mel repeats and crosses her arms in front of her chest, standing up a bit straighter. “If it’s coffee you’re after, then please leave my establishment. Because we are closed.” 

Holly clenches her jaw but doesn’t back down. Instead she steps forward until her hips are touching the edge of the counter. Mel doesn’t step back, instead she raises her eyebrows curiously. 

“Your establishment?” 

Mel can see the inner turmoil in Holly’s eyes. She learned how to push either of the sister’s buttons with just simple words and it made her day so much better, seeing either of them go into this state of pure fury.

“Yes, now if you refuse to leave, I will have to call the police.” Mel explains calmly, but with a cheeky undertone. She knows she could just call Sol out to bare witness to the craziness should anything happen, but the CCTV is turned on and there is no way Holly would be foolish enough to slap her twice. 

“This is my father’s establishment. I will stay for as long as I please.” She huffs and walks over to one of the freshly wiped tables to take a seat. “I’ll be waiting for my order.” 

“Girl, what is this about? I won’t make your coffee and I am certainly not scared to call the police. So just get it over with.” Mel asks frustrated with the situation.

“You-“ Holly points her finger at Mel and starts getting up, but the door bell rings as Bibi pushes the door open closely followed by Jaebeom. The two of them stop and stare for a second, unsure what they had just walked into. “Oh great, the other one is here too.” Holly looks passed Bibi to Jaebeom and frowns as if she recognises his face, but can’t place her finger on it.

Jaebeom frowns and protectively steps in front of Bibi, a move that doesn’t go unnoticed by Holly who chuckles and claps her hands. 

“Bravo. So you managed to wrap my dad around your finger and there was space for another guy too?” Holly seems to find this hilarious as she continues laughing. “He does look familiar though…” She mumbles to herself.

Jaebeom is ready to jump in but Bibi puts her hand on his shoulder to stop him. She walks around him and towards Holly, taking confident steps until she is right in front of her.

“Was that meant to be funny? I don’t see anyone laughing but you.” Bibi wonders out loud. “I guess I missed the punchline twice now. You must have really bad aim.” 

Holly clicks her tongue, annoyance radiating off her body. She takes the gum out of her mouth and drops it on the table. 

“Oops. Aren’t you gonna clean that up? You know, cause you’re the help.” 

Jaebeom is struggling to watch along quietly, but she had let him know that she’ll take care of it herself. So he moves away from the door and turns to face the wall for a second to regain his posture. He runs a hand through his hair and sighs. 

“Actually, my friend and I own this place. But I can call the help if you want.” Bibi smiles her best customer service smile at her. “Sol?” She shouts to the back of the room. 

Holly’s eyes widen a bit, but she quickly masks it again. 

“You have two choices: either you leave peacefully or I call the police. I won’t repeat myself again.” Mel adds from behind the counter. 

Sol comes out of the staff room and is taken aback by the amount of people standing around the café.

“Wow. I must’ve missed a lot.” He jokes and comes to the front of the counter. “What’s up?” 

“Would you mind taking care of this table again?” Bibi points at the gum and quickly gives him an apologetic smile, but Sol doesn’t need to be an expert to understand what is going on right now.

This is a power play he doesn’t want to be a part of. He knows what side he is on and when to pick fights to help his side win, and right now he understands what he has to do. 

“No problem.” Sol reaches behind the counter to grab one of the many small plastic bags that were discarded there after quick runs to the convenience store. “Excuse me.” He asks Bibi and Holly to step away from each other to go pick up the gum, but Holly interferes.

“Wait.” She exclaims. “Let me do that. You shouldn’t have to do it.” 

Holly grabs the plastic bag out of Sol’s hand and picks up her gum. She scrunches it up and takes it over to the bin. Mel winks at Bibi.

“So what will it be? Peaceful or Pol-“ Bibi goes to ask Holly but she holds up her hand to stop her from finishing the sentence in front of Sol. 

“I’ll go. For now.” She walks over to the door. “But don’t think this is the end of it. Kira and I are working on a case against you. But I’m sure you guessed that already.” She opens it, but turns to Jaebeom with a wicked smirk on her face. “By the way, your little girlfriend is a gold digger. I’d advise to proceed with caution…” She winks at him. 

Now Jaebeom is a reasonable guy and when asked to stay out of something, he doesn’t just randomly interfere. But this woman just pushed every single button in his body to cause him to lose all sense of reason. 

So, in the cruellest and driest way possible, he looks her up and down and says: “I’ve heard of you. Pity.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI

The day has been going smoothly. The first open day in weeks and business is soaring. People have come in and told them how much they missed the shop and how sad they were hearing of Ray’s passing. 

An older lady even grabbed Bibi and pulled her in for a hug, almost crying and comforting whom she believes to be his daughter. Bibi didn’t correct her. What would that bring anyway? 

Everyone seems to be excited for the place to be open again and half the books on the shelf have already been exchanged with new ones, as customers have been waiting for ages to get their hands on something else. 

Bibi and Sol have spent the majority of their shifts tidying up tables for new customers to sit and fixing up the messy book shelves. People really need to learn how to leave things behind in public establishments, even if there are people there paid to clean up. 

“Bibi, go! You’re gonna be late.” Sol reminds Bibi as she continues to wipe down a recently vacated table. 

“I won’t be late. Let me just finish this.” She shakes her head and smiles at him brightly. “Besides, he’s picking me up here.” She giggles.

Sol pretends to throw up. Love… gross. 

“Are you gonna wear that?” He asks nonchalantly, not actually meaning anything beyond the very literal meaning of the question. But Bibi’s eyes widen and she looks down frantically at her oversized shirt dress and jumper. 

“What’s wrong with it? Is it too much?” Bibi asks quickly, already wiping her hands off the apron wrapped around her body to protect the outfit from any spills. 

“No. You look great. I was just asking.” Sol clarifies but grins at her nonetheless. “You must really like this guy, if you put that much effort in.” 

Bibi throws her tea towel at him and sticks out her tongue, like a five-year-old. But a very happy five-year-old. A very in love five-year-old, who doesn’t mind the teasing. 

“I do, ah.” Bibi giggles again and shakes her head causing her hair to bop from side to side cutely. 

The door opens and hits the bell. Bibi turns to greet them, but is surprised to see Jinyoung and two other guys walk in. She tilts her head and smiles at him brightly. 

“Jinyoung, hey. What brings you here?” She asks and waves briefly. He returns her smile. 

“We were craving some coffee.” He points to his two friends, both equally as handsome as him and Jaebeom. Bibi has never seen two pretty best friends until she met Jaebeom and Jinyoung and now these two also. What’s in the water? “This is Bambam and Jackson. They kept begging me to bring them here.” 

Bibi nods at them and wipes her hands on her apron again, before walking around the counter, where Mel is frothing milk. 

“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you two. I am Bibi and this is my coffee shop.” Bibi says proudly. “Wow, that’s the first time I called it that.” 

“Better get used to it.” Mel adds before stepping away to bring the customer their drink. 

“You own this place?” Jackson asks curiously. Bibi only now notices how his hair reflex different shades of blonde and copper in different lighting. 

“Yeah, we just recently inherited it from our boss.” Bibi responds sadly. “But enough bout that, what can I get you guys?” 

“I get why JB likes her.” Bambam whispers to Jackson and they both chuckle. Jinyoung just smiles. 

“Just get us three iced Americanos please.” Jinyoung orders for the group.

“Will that be to sit in or take away?” Bibi types in their order on the till.

“Sit in, if there is space.” 

Bibi looks up and points to the table she had just been wiping. “I just cleaned that one, so you can sit there. I’ll come to get the towel off the table in a second.” 

The till jumps open and the receipt gets printed out, but Bibi closes it again with her hip. She turns away to take the cups from the shelf, leaving Jinyoung confused. 

“How much…?” He asks hesitantly. 

“Oh sorry, you get friends and family discount. It’s fine, just sit down.” Bibi waves him off and starts preparing the drinks.

“We can’t do that, you said you’re new to owning this place. Let us pay.” Bambam tries to argue with her, but Bibi shrugs and shakes her head. 

“Business has been great today, I think we can afford three iced Americanos. If you want, I can forget to give you the straws or something.” Bibi winks and continues to make the coffees.

Jackson leans towards Bambam to whisper something in his ear. They start laughing, attracting Bibi’s attention.   
“What?” 

Bambam turns to Jackson with a grin on his face and gesturing for him to tell her. 

“I just said that you’re way too pretty for Jaebeom.” Jackson flirts, but Jinyoung hits him over the head and drags him away. 

“Sorry bout that. I knew I shouldn’t have brought them.” Jinyoung looks apologetic and forces Jackson to sit down at the table, his back facing Bibi. 

“Hey!” Bambam whisper-shouts at Bibi. She turns to him curiously. “You break his heard…” Bambam motions his hand across his neck. “Capice?” Bambam tries to keep a straight face, but breaks character very quickly. Bibi just nods laughing at him. 

“Capice.” She picks up the plate with the drinks and makes her way over to the table. “Do you guys need anything else?” 

“Why don’t you join us?” Jackson suggests, but Bibi brings up her hands to reject the offer. 

“She’s technically off work, so you guys should convince her to take off that apron and go enjoy herself.” Sol chimes in as he passes by, grabbing the towel Bibi had left on their table. “She doesn’t listen to me.”

“Why would I listen to you? I’m the boss here.” 

“We-” Mel adds as she also makes her way passed the table. “-are the bosses here.” 

Bibi rolls her eyes. 

“If you’re done why not join us? You can tell us what JB is like as a boyfriend.” Bambam adds and pushes the fourth chair back for Bibi to sit in.

“I can’t sit down, he’ll be here any minute for our date.” BIbi responds. 

“Actually, he is still in a meeting at work. He said to say sorry but he’ll be late.” Jinyoung bites his lip to hide his worried expression. The three of them know what kind of meeting Jaebeom is in right now, and they are more than happy not to be in his shoes right now. “So entertain us for a bit. Please?” 

Bibi sighs but reaches behind herself to take off her apron. Sol walks up to her and holds out his hand to take it off of her. He brings his second hand around from behind him and drops her bag and jacket in her seat at the table. Bibi’s mouth drops open. 

“You are getting way too comfortable around here.” She mutters. 

“Oh absolutely. What can I get you to drink?” Sol chuckles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI

“Bibi, I’m taking the trash out. I’ll be back in a minute.” Mel shouts from the front door. 

“Ok!” Bibi is cleaning up the dishes from their lunch in the staff room, preparing everything for closing. 

It’s been a couple of days of good business and both Mel and Bibi are very happy with how things are going right now. They still aren’t sure what to do about the shop, but they don’t want it to die either. Ray would’ve wanted it to stay open for his customers. So despite the stress and uncertainty, they will keep working on until they can come to a common ground. 

Right now, the subject gets avoided like the plague. Whenever Mel tries to bring it up, Bibi will suddenly run off to run an errand or take out the bins. This time, Mel is two steps ahead of her. Everything is clean and tidy, ready for tomorrow, and the bins are now also taken out. She can’t make up an excuse this time. Well, hopefully at least. 

Mel returns to the front of the shop and notices Bibi sitting at a table with Kira and a man in a suit. She rushes in and takes off her plastic gloves, ready to throw a fit and threaten to call the police again. The guests both have their backs to Mel, so she looks to Bibi to get a feel for the vibe of this meeting. 

Bibi looks at her and very subtly shakes her head, her lips curling up reassuringly. Kira and the man Mel now recognizes as her lawyer turn to her and both nod their heads at her. 

“Miss Houston, how have you been?” Laywer man asks seemingly in a chipper mood.

Mel hurries to take a seat next to Bibi, only to find a couple of documents already lying on the table in front of them. 

“I’ve been well, thanks. What’s this about?” Mel asks looking from him to Kira in confusion. 

“I came to apologize for my sister’s behaviour. She’s always been the… emotional type.” Kira calmly says. As if an apology form a third party would erase the slap from Mel’s face or the memories of Jaebeom’s face from Bibi’s mind. “I’ve talked to her again and she realises her mistake.” 

“Then why isn’t she here to apologise?” Mel fires back, her arms crossed. 

“I didn’t think it would be wise to invite her.” Kira looks to her lawyer for reassurance and leans in slightly towards Bibi and Mel. “And she also doesn’t know I’m here.” 

Bibi frowns. “Why are you here exactly?” 

“A business proposal.” Kira confidently exclaims. 

“It’s more like opening the discussion for a potential business interaction.” Her lawyer adds. “Miss Park wants to offer a deal regarding the coffee shop.”  
“We’re listening.” Mel doesn’t want to show any emotion on her face. She doesn’t want to give away that a part of her had been hoping for this to happen. What would Ray think of her, if he knew she was thinking of selling the shop he left her? 

“Well, I know this place has been dear to my father.” Kira starts. She seems weird tonight, almost warm towards them. “And to the both of you of course. But I am worried that it might be too much for you to handle. So I am willing to offer a very handsome sum to buy it off you.” 

Kira gestures to her lawyer to show them the papers he had already taken out of his briefcase before Mel had come back in. He looks through them to get to the page with the actual offer and hands it over. 

“These contracts are in your favour. They release you of all duties and legal aspects of the building. You just need to sign it.” He adds and pushes the full document over. The pile of paper must be at least 20 pages and Bibi is suspicious. 

“I’m sure you know we would need to read all that.” Bibi dryly adds. 

“Of course, I don’t expect you to sign something without reading it first.” Kira responds sweetly. Bibi does not trust her or fall for it for a minute. Something in this contract must be fishy, but before she can think about some more, Mel hands her the piece of paper and points to the very large sum. Bibi’s eyes widen. 

“We don’t expect you to make a decision right now. But think about it and get in touch.” The lawyer takes his business card out of his pocket and slides it over to Mel. 

“My father would’ve hated to see the place go down. I hope you make the right call.” Kira gets up from her chair and picks up her coat. 

Mel and Bibi are too shocked to respond. He turns around one last time. “Let me know if you have any questions. Have a good night.” 

Kira waves and they are off. The door bell chimes as the door closes behind them. Bibi drops the paper on the table. 

“Holy shit.” Bibi mumbles half to herself. “What do we do?” 

“Did you hear how condescending she spoke to us?” Mel breathes in a long deep breath and breathes back out. “And that smile. I really had to hold myself back.” 

“You found that strange too, right? So weird. What’s up with that? Treating us like dirt and then suddenly wanting to be best friends?” Bibi shudders. “I get goosebumps thinking about her weird smile.” 

Mel gets up and walks all the way to the staff room, leaving Bibi alone. But she quickly gets up and hurries to put all the papers back together to carry them to the back also. 

“So what do we do?” Bibi asks again when she comes into the staff room. Mel is putting on her jacket and scarf. 

“We can’t really decide what to do without having a lawyer look over that first. Can’t discuss what’s on the table, when you don’t know what’s on the table.” Mel shrugs. “Just leave it here and I will take it to one tomorrow. You and Sol good to cover the day alone yeah?”

Bibi nods and puts the contract on the big table. 

“I feel weird. Talking about selling this place…” Bibi admits and picks at her nails nervously. 

“I know.” 

“Ray would hate it.” 

“I know.” Mel sips up her jacket and opens the door. “Come on, let’s go get a drink.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI

“And you think it’s worth it?” Bibi asks Mel. 

They are drinking coffee in the staff room during the quiet hours of the afternoon. The rush of customers has finally calmed down, after they all had to go back to work quickly. Now there are only a few customers in the shop, so Sol is taking care of them alone. 

“She said that this contract essentially strips us of all rights to the place. So there is no wiggle room for us to negotiate partial ownership. It’s just a sale of all assets.” Mel explains again. She had sent the contract to her lawyer friend, whom she met at law school before dropping out and switching to business school. 

“So what you’re saying is we should keep the place and run it ourselves?” Bibi still doesn’t fully understand what Mel wants to do, so far she only recited facts and quotes from her friend. But Bibi wants to know what Mel wants.

“My friend suggested that I look into Ray’s other buildings to compare how well they do. Because this contract is really weak for us. A one-time payment on such a profitable business.” Mel elaborates. “She even said that the sum is way too small.” 

“Too small? Did you forget to read one of the many zeros?” They laugh. 

“So I did some digging and found out that the other three buildings Ray owned all make only half as much as this place does.” 

Mel takes a sip of her coffee to let the information sink in. 

“So you’re saying they are interested in this place simply because of its monetary value and it has nothing to do with being worried about the coffee shop?” Bibi asks, her heart is breaking for Ray. “Those heartless bastards…” 

Mel laughs out loud. 

“Oh my, you’re swearing at them. Are you okay?” Mel jokingly holds her hand to Bibi’s forehead to check her temperature. “You want to see the nice in people, I know but they really don’t care about Ray.” 

“Do you know what happened between them?” Bibi asks curiously. 

Ray rarely talked of his daughters and whenever he did, it was to complain about them asking for more money or joking about how he will be alone for the holidays. There was always a distant look on his face when he mentioned them, as if he was pushing down the pain and trying to put on a brave face. Maybe his heart was so used to being broken by his kids, that he just felt neutral to it whenever they punched him in the gut again. 

“I don’t know much, but it all started falling apart when Ray divorced their mother and she died shortly after. I think they blame him for it a lot, but I don’t know the details.”   
“How would that be his fault?” Bibi asks astonished. 

“We don’t know the full story, but Ray just doesn’t seem like the type of person to do something to hurt others intentionally.” Mel shrugs. “We just have to believe in the memories of the man we knew. Whatever happened between them, isn’t our business anyway.” 

“True. I just wish he’d told us. Maybe it would make dealing with them easier.” Bibi isn’t sure what made her feel sympathy for Kira and Holly. Maybe it was the fact that she wished for a closer relationship with her parents and knows what it’s like to be mad at one of them. 

“You’re way too nice. Should I remind you what they said about you?” Mel doesn’t feel any pity for them and truthfully would rather keep the coffee shop out of spite than to sell it to them. “Or that one of them slapped me? Or that the other suggested we are not capable of running this place?” 

“I get it, I get it. They are horrible throughout.” Bibi chuckles lightly. “Ok so we aren’t selling then?” 

“I don’t want to, no. What about you?” 

Bibi takes a moment to think. What did she actually want? There’s no way she wants to give them the shop, but the money would be good. Who knows how bad business could get and then what? They definitely need a strategy. Plus, her university won’t let her postpone her assignments much longer and they already sent her emails regarding them after her grieving period. 

“Can I tell you tomorrow?” 

“Of course. Take as much time as you need.” Mel adds. “I doubt they’ll push us on this, seeing as they want to buy more than we want to sell right now.” 

Sol comes in with an empty water bottle in hand to put in the recycling. 

“Is it busy out there?” Bibi asks him and gets up to go help him. 

“Just a couple of guys reading books, nothing new.” 

“Anyone ordered Jasmine tea?” Bibi’s face lights up at the idea of him being here. She hasn’t seen him in a couple of days since their last date. That was the same day she met his other friends Bambam and Jackson. 

“Nope.” He drops the bottle in the recycling bin and turns to Mel nervously. 

“I’ll go hold the fort. You should take a break; you don’t look so good. Have some water.” Bibi reassures him and steps out into the coffee shop. Once the door closes behind her, Mel notices Sol’s awkward stance. 

He is standing strangely straight, as if building up the courage to say something but not being quite there yet, with his hands fidgeting in front of his abdomen. His eyes are glued to the floor and he is biting his lip. Whatever it is, it won’t be good…

“Spit it out.” Mel says straight to the point as always. 

Sol reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a very creased letter. The front of it reads “Letter of resignation”. He holds it out to Mel with both hands and unable to look her in the eyes. She looks at it but doesn’t take it.

“What’s this?” She simply asks. 

“I know you guys are struggling to decide what to do about the café. I’m taking myself out of the equation.” He blurts out. 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Mel is now showing her confusion. “Where is this coming from?” 

“The other day, I saw a contract on the table and I read through it. It’s a lot of money and I noticed that the page was open on the part where it says all employee contracts would be reviewed individually. So I wondered if you might be worried about me losing my job if you sell, so… here.” He holds the letter out a little further. 

Mel sighs and leans forward to put her head in her hands. She runs a hand through her hair and looks at him again. 

“We haven’t made a decision yet. Besides, if we did, then you’d be the first to know.” Mel reassures him, but he seems unconvinced. 

“I found a new job. So you don’t need to worry about me.” He repeats. 

Mel notices the sweat forming on his upper lip and the way his hands seem to me very focused on not shaking. So she grabs the letter from his hand and puts it on the table. 

“When do you start this new job?” 

“Monday.” 

“Not a word to Bibi. I don’t want her to be influenced on her decision.” Mel stands up and puts a hand on his shoulder. “If we decide not to sell, will you stay?” 

“Ask me again, when you are sure.” Sol gives her a weak smile and leaves her alone in the staff room. 

Mel sits back down and leans back letting out a very deep breath. “These kids are gonna drive me insane… way too kind hearted.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI

Jaebeom taps his fingers on the cold table in the meeting room. He has been sitting here for fifteen minutes, waiting for the director to come in. As always he is late. Jaebeom checks the time on the clock over the door and runs his hand through his impatiently. He has somewhere to be too, the director isn’t the only one on a tight schedule. 

The company logo graces the wall to his left, big and shiny. Jaebeom rolls his eyes and turns his head away toward the glass wall to his right, which shows the corridor and the empty meeting rooms on the other side. He impatiently taps his food and proceeds to bite his lip. 

He is going to be late… He can’t always be late to meet her, that’s not what a boyfriend should do. A boyfriend should be reliable and show that the relationship is important to them, but he consistently messes up like this. It isn’t just big things that cause a bomb to go off, small mess-ups also amount to a big blow up. And he is sick of giving her reasons to think he won’t show up. He will always show up. 

Jaebeom might lose his mind if the director doesn’t show up soon. Could that damn wall sign shine any brighter? It is irritating him so much, he holds up his hand to the side of his face to stop it shining straight in his eyes, but it still gets reflected on the glass. He grunts in frustration. 

He lays his forehead on the table and stares at his shoes for a min to escape the brightness of the room. 

The door opens and in come the director, a relatively tall older gentleman, with a sickening crooked smile and his assistant. The director moves over to Jaebeom and places his hand on his shoulder. The attempt at affection doesn’t go unnoticed by Jaebeom and indulges it for a little, before looking up and shaking it off subtly. 

“Very sorry for the delay, my previous meeting ran over.” He apologises with a big grin on his face, clearly he is not sorry at all. “How have you been doing? I watched you guys earlier today, it’s looking great.” 

He goes over to the chair his assistant pulled out for him and holds out his hand, expecting her to hand him the iPad right away. Of course, she does it without blinking an eye as she is perfectly in sync with him now after messing up for weeks, but it still irritates Jaebeom a bit. 

“Yeah, the members are working hard.” He responds trying his best to match the overly friendly smile. “So what’s this about?” 

The director crosses his legs and leans back in his chair. He is typing away on his iPad, before sliding it over to Jaebeom. He points at the screen, showing an email with the subject: ‘JB dating?’.

Jaebeom picks up the iPad and carefully reads the email. Someone has seen him with Bibi and is threatening to reveal it to the press, if they don’t compensate them. The sender has a strange number as their email address and it isn’t signed.  
“Who sent this?” He asks, knowing damn well that nor the director nor his assistant have the answer to it. 

“Unsure.” The director leans forward. “We know you’re allowed to date, but we are concerned about the intent of this person. Can you tell us about this Bibi?” 

Jaebeom frowns. Why should he tell the director anything about his girlfriend? 

“What exactly are you asking me?” Jaebeom doesn’t beat around the bush. That’s one quality the director has always respected about him.

“You’re very quick witted.” The director chuckles. “Is there anything we need to know about her? Anything… bad?” 

Jaebeom huffs and lets himself fall back into his chair. He shakes his head in disbelief. 

“I don’t see how anything about her is the company’s business.” He is getting agitated and for some reason can’t even hide it a bit. Maybe it’s because Bibi is involved. 

“You don’t need to tell me her shoe size or her favourite dish. I just need to know, if we are facing something bigger than a dating scandal.” The director reiterates, this time clearly more serious than his previous stances. “Any convictions or-“

“No. She isn’t that type of person.” Jaebeom gives in. 

“Good. And where did you say she worked? A coffee shop?” The director takes the iPad back from and starts typing away. 

“Yes. She’s studying and working there part time. Recently, the coffee shop changed owners.” Jaebeom stops and wonders if he should share more or stop there. 

“Yes?” 

“Her old boss’ daughters have caused some trouble, because their father left the shop to Bibi.” Jaebeom finally puts the pieces of the puzzle together. “You don’t think one of them is behind this?” 

Intrigued, Jaebeom leans forward and presses his arms onto the table. 

“We should sue them.” Jaebeom exclaims. 

“We can’t sue them for an email, that’s likely going to lead to nothing.” The director responds in a calming tone, but something in Jaebeom tells him that the director is enjoying this. 

Even last meeting, he noticed the way the director was loving the negative comments that were left under his groups’ content and no matter how many times Jaebeom asked for them to be taken care of, the director denied them legal action. It’s just harmless, he said. Nothing bad will come of it, he said. There is only a hand full and he took care of the reporters, he said. Well now what? 

“We will track the email and see if we can find out who it is. Until then, try and not attract attention to yourselves. Maybe even stay away from her for a bit, until things calm down.” The director suggests with a look of concern on his face. “I’m sure you understand.” 

“No, actually.” Jaebeom responds briefly. 

“Think of her life. It’ll be turned upside down if this news breaks the wrong way.” The director gets up to leave. “Keep a low profile for a while and if you two are still together in a couple of months, we can talk about an official announcement.” 

“That’s it?” Jaebeom asked in a mix of anger and confusion. 

“That’s it.” The assistant opens the door for the director, he turns his back to Jaebeom and raises his hand to wave. “Keep up the good work.” Then, he walks down the corridor until Jaebeom can’t see him anymore. 

He swears under his breath as the door closes. When he raises his head up to check the time, he notices he’s over an hour late now. Again. She’ll kill him. 

He runs out of the building and straight passed all the people standing outside. As soon as he makes it onto the main road, he hails a taxi and asks the driver to hurry up, but of course the rush hour traffic doesn’t help the cause. 

Once in her neighbourhood, Jaebeom leaves the taxi behind at some busy traffic light and decides to run. He’ll be faster that way anyway. He takes out his phone and calls Bibi, but she doesn’t answer. He wouldn’t answer either if she had ignored his past 10 calls. 

Still holding his phone, he finally makes it in front of her building. He goes to dial again, when she calls him back. 

“Bibi! Hi! I’m so-“ He starts, but she immediately interrupts him. 

“Do you know how worried I was? You promised you’d be on time. I thought something happened to you, I even called three hospitals!” Her voice doesn’t sound angry, more concerned and frustrated. He can work with frustrated. 

“I’m outside. Let me make it up to you.” Jaebeom pleads. There’s silence on the other side, but suddenly the front door opens and Bibi steps out of the building. 

She walks over to him, her mouth in a straight line. She looks ready to fight, but instead she pulls him into a hug.

“You better explain, but first I’m so glad you’re okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI

After talking with Jaebeom for a couple of hours, Bibi feels a lot better about the prospect of keeping the coffee shop. 

“I felt like I was betraying Ray if I sold, but he helped me understand that Ray left us this place for a reason.” Bibi explained to Mel in the staff room the next day. 

“Which is?” Mel asks curiously. 

“Where did you go when you found out you passed your thesis defence?” Bibi counters with her own question. She is so energetic and excited about this new revelation, Mel can hardly keep the smile off her own face. 

“The coffee shop.” Mel responds with a nod.

“And who came to your graduation?” 

“Ray and you.” Mel bites her lip. “It’s not that I don’t love reminiscing, but where are you going with this?” 

Bibi leans over and takes Mel’s hand in hers. 

“He left us this place, because this has always been our home. We come here when something exciting happens in our lives and he would come to us to celebrate our achievements. Be it my driver’s license or your master’s degree.” Bibi’s smile reaches her eyes where tears are forming. “Damn, I miss him. But he left us this place, so we’d be happier. And if selling it were the only way to maintain that happiness, I know for a fact he wouldn’t be mad. So, that’s why I decided not to sell.” 

Mel squeezes Bibi’s hand and sighs. They both just stare at each other, both in their own thoughts of Ray, a man who came into their lives at the right moment and left way too soon. Someone who wouldn’t bat an eyelash if he was wronged, but could raise hell if his loved ones were faced with hardship. Bibi sniffs and starts laughing as the tears run down her face.

“So, let’s keep it and figure it out. See how it goes?” Bibi asks almost hesitantly, scared that maybe Mel changed her mind. 

“See how it goes.” Mel responds a confident smile on her face. “What’s the worst that can happen anyway?” 

“Bankruptcy?” Bibi jokes and they laugh more. If anyone walked in, it would definitely take a bit of time to explain why they were crying and laughing at the same time. 

“I’m so glad I can tell Sol he doesn’t need to quit now.” Mel adds, but quickly closes her mouth. “Oh shit, you weren’t meant to know that.” Bibi’s eyes widen.

“What? Sol quit?” She follows up, the carefree expression gone and replaced with a concerned one. 

“Aw my stupid mouth.” Mel hits herself on the mouth in annoyance. “It’s your fault I told you, your aura makes me want to share all my thoughts. Stop that.” 

Mel tries to lighten the mood again but Bibi stays serious. 

“He handed me his notice yesterday, I told him not to tell you, so please don’t get mad at him. Be mad at me.” Mel suggests. “I just didn’t want you to feel any pressure in making your decision. But it’s all good now, we can keep employing him.”

“How did that even happen?” Bibi can’t wrap her mind around why Sol would want to quit.

“He saw the contract on the table the other day after Kira left and he read through a bit of it. He thinks that maybe because the contract doesn’t guarantee the current positions, we might be swaying towards keeping the shop rather than selling.” Mel explains and shrugs. “He was mainly blinded by the money.” 

“Did you say to him tha-“ 

“Did I say to him that we would’ve included him in the decision to sell?” Mel finishes and Bibi nods, that was exactly what she wanted to ask. “Of course I did. But you know Sol, he’s a people pleaser.” 

“Should I talk to him?” Bibi isn’t sure what she is meant to do in this situation. She is afterall also his boss. No matter how weird it might sound. 

“I don’t think that’s necessary. He knows we will keep him and he is willing to stay if we keep the place so don’t worry.” Mel reassures her. 

Sol comes barging in like a deer that just barely managed to escape a mountain lion’s claws. He is out of breath and a bit of sweat has gathered on his top lip. 

“Speaking of the devil.” Mel jokes, but immediately notices the scared expression on his face. “What?” 

Sol tries to catch his breath. “I was… cleaning…” He leans forward on his knees.

“You were cleaning what?” Mel asks impatiently. 

“Windows… I was cleaning… the windows.” He rubs his hand over his forehead and wipes the sweat off his apron, his breath slowly normalising again. “I was cleaning the windows and-“

“Oh my god, Sol. We get it you were cleaning the windows.” Mel grunts. “What then?” 

“Kira and Holly are outside.” They hear the door bell ringing as the door opens in the coffee shop. “Well, now they are inside.” 

“Oh shit.” Bibi shouts and immediately regrets the volume, so she repeats but whispers this time. “Oh shit. What do we do?”

Mel stands up confidently. “What we always do. Serve our customers with the best service possible.” Mel winks at Bibi as she heads over to the door. “This is our coffee shop after all. We need to run it with upmost care and love.” 

Bibi calms down almost instantly and feels a lot more confident after seeing Mel’s reaction. She follows her out, leaving Sol behind. The poor lad is confused as to what just happened. He thought this would be the worst possible news ever and they would fight about who would have to deal with it. He is kind of disappointed at the lack of drama but at the same time happy that they seem to be doing okay. 

Mel steps behind the counter to find the two women standing looking at the sign. 

“Welcome, are you ready to order?” Mel asks politely. 

“Do you often leave your shop without staff?” Kira asks nonchalantly. 

“Absolutely not, I’m so sorry for keeping you waiting.” Again, Mel stuns them with her politeness. Holly frowns, but Kira doesn’t let her face show her surprise. 

“Two skinny Lattes please.” Kira responds to the question. “And a word with the manager.” She smiles for a second but immediately drops the corners of her mouth again. 

“Coming right up.” 

“Make mine with sugar free hazelnut syrup and-“

“And iced?” Bibi chimes in from the coffee machine. She is wrapping the apron around her body and also looking way too friendly for Holly’s liking. 

“Yeah, that’s right…” Holly mumbles, while Kira is already holding out her card over the card reader. 

“Please take a seat and we’ll be right there with your drinks.” 

“And the manager?” Kira asks. 

“Yes, and the managers.” Mel corrects her then turns away to help Bibi make the two drinks. 

Kira and Holly choose a spot by the front windows overlooking the promenade and with a clear view of the playground. 

“Keep playing it cool. Did you see Holly’s face when you said iced?” Mel imitates Bibi’s voice as she whispers near her ear. 

“You should tell them. I don’t feel confident enough.” Bibi smiles at her friend and puts down the finished iced drink on the tray in front of them, where Mel already left the hot one. 

“Sure.” Mel picks up the tray. “Let’s go.” They walk over to the table and take a seat after handing them out their drinks. 

“Thank you.” Kira answers politely as she takes her drink, meanwhile Holly just start sipping at her straw. “So have you thought about it?”

“Will you sell? You’ll sell right? Otherwise you wouldn’t be so friendly with us.” Holly blurts in without taking the suspicious look off her face. Kira gives her a sharp glance before turning back to Bibi and Mel. 

“We were going to call you today or tomorrow.” Mel starts, but notices Jaebeom walking up the promenade way. She nudges Bibi under the table and tries to subtly move her head in his direction. 

Bibi looks over to the way and sees him stepping up to the little walkway leading to the shop. Her eyes widen. He finally looks up and notices her staring at him, she shakes her head slightly, but Holly notices and follows her gaze. Her mouth opens in surprise but she quickly closes it and takes a sip of her iced coffee. 

“So?” Kira asks, unaware of the new guest standing outside. She is too hooked on Mel’s words to really care anyway. 

“We aren’t selling. Sorry.” Mel drops the bomb and it seems to explode in Kira’s mind. She was so sure they would sell. 

“What?” Kira asks a little too loudly, some customers turn to them, but she waves them off. “Why wouldn’t you sell? You’re gonna ruin this place!” She adds angrily, barely tuning it down. 

Sol is serving another customer, but keeps his eyes on the table. He is ready to intervene if he must. 

“You said we can sue them, right?” Holly asks Kira, matching her frustration. 

Bibi looks to Mel concerned that what she said is true, but then looks back to Jaebeom who mouths a silent ‘are you okay’. She nods slowly, knowing that she doesn’t mean it one bit, but he still retreats and heads over to the playground to wait for her. The day he is early for once, she is the one making him wait. 

“You will hear from our lawyer.” Kira gets up and grabs her coffee cup. Unsure if she would actually throw it at Mel, Sol already jumped over the counter to get in between them. Thankfully though, she just wanted to finish her drink before storming out with Holly right behind her, so Sol leans against the counter pretending he didn’t just slide across the counter and land perfectly in a move to protect his people. It’s fine, it happens to everyone. 

When the door closes behind them, both Bibi and Mel let out a loud breath they didn’t even know they had been holding. 

“Well that went well.” Mel concludes and smiles to herself. 

“Well? They want to sue us. How is that going well?” Bibi asks kind of outraged. “Stop smiling like that!” She adds, but can’t help her own mouth from forming a smile. 

“Go see your lover boy. He is on time today. You should give him a treat. Maybe then he’ll remember the trick for next time.” Mel winks and pushes her chair back. 

Bibi happily jumps up from her seat and almost skips out into the promenade and towards Jaebeom. He barely has time to stand up before she basically throws herself into his arms and pulls him closer. 

“I will always be on time from now on, if this is how you’ll greet me.” He jokes, but she pulls him in even tighter.

“You should always be on time, no matter how I greet you.” She whispers in his ear and they both smile at each other. “Hi.” She pecks him on the lips quickly. 

“Hello.” He kisses her back, deeper this time. “What would you like to do today?”

“What have you got planned?” Bibi asks and finally lets go of him, only to take his hand in hers and start walking. 

“I was thinking fried chicken and a movie at my place?” Jaebeom suggests. “We still have that puzzle to finish and I don’t know how much longer I can keep Nora off the coffee table.” 

“We are such an old couple… wow.” They laugh as they walk down the promenade towards the main road. 

Behind them, Holly is secretly taking pictures of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI

“What is that?” Jaebeom asks. He is back in the meeting room with that stupidly bright company logo this time right ahead of him. Nothing needs to be this big and bright, everyone already knows where they are when they walk in. How conceited must one be? 

“We just got this in the mail.” The director pushes the envelop closer to him. “Open it.” 

This time the director isn’t even trying to look friendly. To be frank, he looks fairly pissed off. 

“I told you to keep your distance and this is what you do?” The director leans forward onto his elbows. “JB, this is bad. I can’t stop this from going out.” 

Jaebeom opens the letter and takes out a stack of pictures. Pictures of him and Bibi hugging in front of the coffee shop. Pictures of them kissing and pictures of them walking away holding hands. 

“What are their demands this time?” 

“They already sold them. They just informed us.” The director seems really mad, but Jaebeom isn’t sure if that anger is directed at him or the person who took those pictures. “The PR Team and I have talked about this thoroughly and we’ve come to the conclusion that there are three options for you.” 

Jaebeom sits up straighter, curious to hear what they will try and make him do this time. What is so wrong about being in love anyway? Why does it matter to so many people whom he dates? He shakes his head. There’s no point even wondering about that, because he doesn’t care what they think. 

He only cares about the girl in those pictures and the way she looks at him when he isn’t looking. He never noticed how pretty she looks when she smiles at him like that, until he just saw those pictures. Maybe he should be thankful for the pictures.

Hours later, Jaebeom is wandering around his apartment aimlessly waiting for Bibi to get there. He is barely able to avoid the furniture whenever he is close to hitting one, as a hundred different thoughts flood his mind. He doesn’t know what to say… Maybe he shouldn’t say that or maybe that’s exactly why he should. No. Should he just disappear? No that’d be even worse.

Nora hisses at him when he almost steps on her tail. The doorbell rings. He knows it’s Bibi. It wouldn’t be anyone else, but his feet aren’t moving. He is standing with his back facing the intercom unable to turn around and face the music. The music he is about to play isn’t a happy song. 

The doorbell rings again. 

“Hello? Jaebeom?” He hears through the intercom speaker. Her voice sounds slightly distorted but still beautiful to his ears. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe she’ll understand. 

He forces his feet to move and walks all the way to the front door to let her in himself. He opens it wide and doesn’t expect to see her shine so brightly. He soaks it in though. Takes in every part of her looking this way. A smile so bright it’s showing all her teeth. Her cheeks flushed from the cold and her eyes sparkling in the sun. He’ll just remember this forever, rather than imagine what’s to come. 

The director’s voice sounds in his head again. The same sentence he has repeated to himself over and over again. 

“We think it’s best if you wait for the news to break and deny them. We release a statement saying that you were in fact dating, but things didn’t work out and you broke up.” 

Jaebeom doesn’t want to picture this man’s face right now. Especially not paired with the outrageous suggestion. He would absolutely never deny his feelings and relationship. 

“Hey, what’s going through your head?” Bibi asks him and smoothes out the lines on his forehead. “You’ve been frowning so much lately. What are you thinking about so hard?”

The way she smiles at him right now, as if he is the most precious being in the world, he can’t deny that. He has no right to deny that. 

“Mostly you.” He responds, expecting it to sound sweet. But instead Bibi picks up on the intensity of his eyes on her and the slight uneasiness in his stance. 

“What’s wrong?” Her smile drops and she closes the door. Already taking off her shoes, when she pulls him forward and back into the living room. 

She sits down and pets the space next to her, for him to sit with her. The director’s voice comes crashing into his brain like a train into the station and he closes his eyes briefly. 

“Option 2, we announce it before the news can break. But that means we make the announcement tonight.” 

Another option Jaebeom doesn’t like. He can’t make that choice alone and he doesn’t want Bibi to have to make that choice either. Public scrutiny isn’t something he wants for her. 

“Hey!” Bibi shouts and snaps her fingers in front of his face. “Are you okay?” 

Jaebeom pulls her in for a hug. He leans his head on her shoulder and breathes in her scent. The light flowery smell of her perfume calming him down a bit. Bibi lets him hold her tightly for as long as he needs. 

“Come on, you’re scaring me now.” Bibi admits, her voice shaking slightly. Her mind racing to figure out what could be wrong with him has taken her dark places. The worst thought leading her straight to heartbreak. 

“I’m sorry.” He whispers. 

“What are you sorry for?” Bibi asks hesitantly, unsure if she really wants the answer to that. 

The director’s voice rings in his ears like a never ending echo.

“Or you could do your military service. That way we can deal with it quietly, simply put out a release that you have a girlfriend but you are leaving for your duty.” The director laid out all options to soften the blow out for him. “The public is more likely to leave you alone and the articles can be spun so it seems you guys broke up implicitly.” 

“Something came up and I need to enlist. I’m leaving tomorrow.” He whispers again, without letting go.

Of course he chose enlistment over exposing her or denying her. What’s 18 months away from her compared to the pain that comes with being his public girlfriend? If this can make it easier, than he will leave. He will gladly go. They promised they can deal with it better this way, he just has to trust that was the truth. 

“That’s ok. I expected that someday.” Bibi whispers back softly with a little laugh in her voice. “Is that all?”

He shakes his head. 

“You don’t understand. I’m leaving.” He adds his voice cracking with a sob in his throat. 

“Yes but you’ll be back. You’ll be back, right?” Bibi pushes him back in confusion. “You aren’t gone forever, right?” 

“Don’t wait for me.” 

“What?” Bibi responds startled by his response. 

“I won’t be able to handle it if you wait for me.” He explains, the pain shooting through his body as he fights back every urge to not say the following words. “You’ll do better if you don’t wait for me.”

Bibi takes a step back. Her expression switching from angry to confused and back to angry. 

“Why? Why was it okay for you to wait for me, but not for me to wait for you?” 

“That isn’t the same thing!” Jaebeom looks exasperated. 

“How is that not that not the same thing?”   
“We should just leave it at the happy memories we have now, not ruin it with a long distance relationship.” He tries his best to find arguments in his favour, but he just wants to tell her he loves her. He never said it but right now, his lips are longing to speak the words. Because he does love her. He loves her so much, that the fact he can’t protect her in a better way, is breaking his heart. “Don’t wait for me. I don’t want you to.” 

He knows his words stab her like a knife, because he felt the same way when she was saying these things to him. He knows, yet he has to do this. Maybe this was also how she had felt back then, but he doesn’t have time to consider this, as Bibi puts her arms around him this time and holds him in a tight hug. 

“I can wait until later. We don’t have to define later, just let me wait until later.” 

“I can’t promise you a later…” Jaebeom says but his voice breaks. He chokes up again, but keeps going. “I can’t make a promise I don’t know I can keep.” 

He feels himself slowly want to give in. He doesn’t want to see her like this, beating herself up and trying to hold onto him, when he knows that she will always hold his heart no matter what. She doesn’t have to try so hard, because she already captured him. She captured him when she made him tea and he was too shy to talk to her and she captured him when she started leaving him messages in a book. He doesn’t deserve her. Their love would only ruin her and he can’t let that happen. 

“Then promise me a maybe later.” She asks desperately. She looks up at him, tears streaming down her face. “I can live with a maybe later.” 

He chuckles. Not because it’s funny, but because his heart just took the final blow and smashed into several pieces. The way she looks at him right now, with those big eyes and rosy cheeks. A look filled with love and desire for him to stay. How badly he wants to give in. 

“Maybe later… Maybe never.” Jaebeom whispers. He puts his hand behind her head and pulls her in closer. Partly to hide his tears, but mostly also to hold her as tight as possible one last time before letting her go indefinitely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI

One t-shirt after the other makes it into Jaebeom’s duffel bag. The bed is full of toiletries, clothes and cats walking all over everything, making sure to leave their hair behind for him to find them later. He is playing music loudly, trying to drown out his thoughts as much as possible. Thinking is hard and it hurts. 

He picks up the last t-shirt lying next to the bag, revealing the book that lies beneath it. It’s the same book Bibi gave him to break up with him after Ray’s death. Bibi. That is the name he is trying so hard to keep out of his head. If he thinks about her, he will try running to her, but this time he can’t. 

He picks up the book, in it now the printed picture that was sent to his company with a new threat. He puts it down on the desk next to a box that says Bibi on the side. He put all her things in that box, for Jinyoung to return to her when he is already long gone. Two years isn’t too bad, maybe he will be able to keep his promise for a maybe later. A part of him hopes that she will be able to move on, but a more selfish part of him hopes she will wait. He still hopes, despite knowing the amount of heartache he has caused her already. Maybe he is allowed to be selfish when it comes to love. Maybe he can hope just a little longer. Who knows, two years isn’t that long, especially if she keeps busy. 

He shakes his head. He can’t be thinking like that. Instead, he should be hoping for the best for her. If that is a future without him, then he will have to accept that. 

The doorbell rings, snapping him out of it. The cats immediately follow him out into the living room, where he lets Jinyoung in through the intercom.

“Are you ready?” Jinyoung asks with a sad smile.

“Don’t do that.” Jaebeom objects and points to his face. 

“What?” 

“That smile. You’re not gonna cry are you?” Jaebeom frowns. 

Jinyoung hits his best friend on the arm and walks into the bedroom. 

“So is this the box?” He points to the box on the desk and Jaebeom nods. “You don’t look ready.” 

Jaebeom just sighs and continues packing. He doesn’t notice Jinyoung eyeing the book lying on the desk and he is too busy to realise that his best friend just put it in the box for Bibi to find. Would he have stopped him, had he seen it? 

Now Bibi is throwing off her apron and discarding it on the counter. Jinyoung runs out of the coffee shop after her, leaving behind a confused looking Mel who now has to deal with the noon rush on her own. 

But Bibi can’t stop thinking about the pictures she just saw. She feels a sense of understanding but also betrayal. He lectured her on not giving him the option to make the choice, but is he any different? Hypocrite, she thinks. 

Bibi is running as fast as she can. She has to get to him before he leaves, but the chances are slim. 

“When did you say he leaves?” Bibi asks Jinyoung who stops next to her to hail a taxi for them. 

“In 15 minutes. We’ll never make it!” Jinyoung checks his phone for the time. “He isn’t picking up my calls, you should try.” 

“He won’t pick up for me, either.” Bibi explains. Her frustration turning into nervousness. She has to make it in time. If not to reconcile with him, then to at least beat his ass for pulling that on her. “He’s such an idiot!” She shouts angrily and holds out her hand to try and get a taxi for them, seeing as they aren’t stopping for Jinyoung. 

“He really is an idiot.” Jinyoung agrees with a smile. “Taxi!” He shouts as one nears them and comes to a halt. 

Bibi pushes her way past Jinyoung and into the backseat. 

“Hello! To the train station please.” Jinyoung instructs the driver. 

“Please hurry. I have to stop the love of my life from being a stupid idiot.” Bibi adds, making Jinyoung and the driver laugh. The driver nods and takes off.

“I hope you know I will tell him that you said that twice now.” 

“Please do, cause I will tell him too. I will tell him ten more times if I have to.” They share a little laugh in the backseat, be it because it was actually funny or because they were both nervous about making it on time. “Why didn’t he just tell me about this?” She mumbles this more to herself than to Jinyoung, but he takes it to heart.

“When he told me about it all yesterday, he was mostly heartbroken too. Don’t be too hard on him, please.” Jinyoung seems to plead. Not many people get to meet the real Jaebeom, the vulnerable Jaebeom. 

“I know.” She reassures. “I’m all angry now, but the second I see him I will turn into a lovesick puppy…” Admitting this to him brings a blush to her face. 

“You two are like the same person, it’s gross.” He responds and crunches his face is fake disgust. 

“Doesn’t the family usually drive someone to the army base?” Bibi asks to keep her mind occupied.

“Yeah, but his parents couldn’t get into the city on such short notice, so he is taking the train to Siheun to meet them there.” Jinyoung explains, but scratches his neck. “We were actually meant to go together, but he got rushed.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Why are you sorry? It’s not your fault.” He corrects her and chuckles. “It’s entirely his fault for being, and I quote, a stupid idiot.” 

They laugh, but only half heartedly. 

“No, I’m just joking. It’s no one’s fault. Life is unpredictable sometimes.” Jinyoung tries to loosen up the tension in the car and leans forward to speak to the driver. “Are we almost there?” 

“Just need to turn the corner and then it’s one minute down the road.” The driver responds. 

Bibi sighs relived that they are almost there. “How much longer have we got?” 

Jinyoung checks the time, but his smile drops. “Five minutes.”

“Sir, please go as fast as you can.” The driver waves her off with a chuckle, but hits the gas a little. “But also please don’t break the law.” 

After paying the man very quickly and without waiting for change, Jinyoung and Bibi run into the busy train station. Of course he had to leave during lunch time rush hour. It would be impossible to find him amongst all these people. 

Jinyoung points to the big screen with all the departures and finds Jaebeom’s train. He grabs Bibi’s shoulder to get her attention and points to the screen. 

“Platform 17.” He pulls her along with him in the direction of the platforms 15-20. “It’s underground, we won’t make it…” Jinyoung says, but Bibi is frantically hitting the lift button. Her fingers start to hurt from the impact but she doesn’t stop. 

“Where is this damn lift?” She keeps pushing it down hard, but the lift doesn’t come. She looks around anxiously and spots the door leading to the stairs. Jinyoung follows her gaze but shakes his head. 

“That’s like five floors down. We’ll be much faster if we wait for the lift another couple of minutes. Trust me.” But Bibi ignores him and dashes towards the door. She pulls it open and takes the stairs two steps at a time. Still, she reaches the bottom too slowly. 

Behind her Jinyoung rushes down the stairs also, cursing himself for doing so and not waiting for the lift. Bibi throws the door open and steps out onto the bridge separating the platforms. She looks left then right, looking for the escalators to platform 17 and picks up her speed, despite being exhausted and sweating buckets. 

She can’t miss him. She can’t let him leave without telling him he’s a stupid idiot and she loves him. She can’t and she won’t. So she runs down the escalator, stepping between people to pass them and reach the bottom. 

The train doors start beeping, announcing their closure.

“No!” She shouts out and starts running down the entire length of the train to the front trying to see him sitting in it. 

If she can’t speak with him, she would at least make him see her here. If he sees her here, he might pick up her call to ask what happened and then she can yell at him there. If she can’t yell at him in person, she wants to be able to do it on the phone. Because if she can yell at him, then she can ask him if he loves her too and she can tell him she’ll wait no matter what. She can yell, scream, cry and just talk. 

Jinyoung watches from the escalator, as a determined Bibi reaches the halfway down the train before it starts leaving in the opposite direction. The wagons she hadn’t looked through yet, now passing by her. The front of the train revealing itself to be the end, giving her a little spark of hope that she might still be able to see him. 

The train speeds up and Bibi starts walking towards the escalator again without taking her eyes off of people inside each wagon. She will find him and he will see her. Positive thinking. 

When the second to last wagon passed her she sees his dark hair and his nose in a book, sitting at the opposite side to her. She picks up her pace to meet the speed of the train, but it’s picking up. She won’t be able to keep accelerating much longer, especially with the platform ending. 

Bibi runs passed Jinyoung who is waiting for her at the escalators and continues on. She is waving her hands and shouting his name, but nothing works. He is focused on reading and she knows when he’s taking in the world described on a page, nothing can make him look up. So, instead she just admires him now. The spark of hope long extinguished inside of her, she will just take what she gets. 

When she reaches the end of the platform, she watches the train take the love of her life away without a proper goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Last Piece: https://youtu.be/z1gxHexN5DI

3-months later, first official leave:

There are three types of lonely. The one where you are literally alone and you don’t know who to reach out to. The one where you are surrounded by hundreds of people who call themselves friends, yet no one notices when you slip into darkness. And the one he is feeling right now, while staring at her from afar. 

The one where the longing to be near someone is so strong that you need to give in, but gravity is keeping you in place. The one where you know the logical thing is to run towards them and never let them go, but your feet won’t move an inch. He wishes, with every single cell in his body, that he could, even just for a moment, feel her love again. The touch of her hand on his bare chest and the way she wrapped her arms around him when she was sad. 

He wishes that he could, just for a moment, forget everything and start fresh. Just scrap the page and rewrite their story so it doesn’t end. But he can’t. Instead he decides to catch one last glance at her in her little black apron and with her hair in two braids on her shoulders. Despite everything his heart fills with warmth and he dares to smile. Not too much though, just in case fate in watching and ready to snatch it all away again. He doesn’t want to walk away, but it is for the best. 

He has to. No, he must, he reminds himself. And so he goes and leaves the love of his life behind. 

Had he stayed only half a minute longer, he would’ve met her eye. They could’ve shared one last moment or maybe just a moment that could lead to so much more. But he didn’t and so she sighs and continues on waiting tables. 

15-months-later: 

Bibi runs a hand through her hair as she flicks through an interior design magazine. On the wall behind her hang three new pictures. The middle one, also the biggest one, shows Ray with Mel, Bibi and Sol on that horrendous trip to the mountain they took over two years ago. Despite Bibi’s sour expression, the picture is too valuable to store solely on a computer and never display. 

The top picture is of Sol, Mel and Bibi at Bibi’s graduation. Despite it being a small party of three, they managed to celebrate and drink like they were at least fifteen people. Someone was missing in her heart though and she didn’t dare wish for him to be there. 

The bottom one, also the newest one, is a picture of Mel and Bibi, signing the contract to franchise the coffee shop brand with Kira. In a positive turn of events, Kira got to know the two of them through several attempts to take legal action against them. After the third attempt, she gave up and decided that instead of fighting them she would like to learn more about them and why their father chose them over his actual daughters. 

Turns out there has been a heart in there all along. They haven’t talked to Holly at all in the past 18 months though, and Bibi is thankful for that. 

After the article broke, revealing her relationship with Jaebeom, Holly admitted to being the one who sent them in. Bibi was very close to committing an offence then and there, but she held back. Instead she banned her from every entering the coffee shop ever again. Kira once tried to plead for her, but fell straight on deaf ears. 

Just as predicted, the company managed to soften the blow on Bibi with his departure to the military. The focus shifted and less attention was given to the dating scandal. If things could only be different… if he had only asked her. 

Bibi shakes her head. There’s no point be hung up on the what ifs, instead she will just continue waiting. Waiting for him, waiting for the us she has so desperately wanted all her life. 

She closes the magazine and grabs the apron off the chair. Bibi pushes the door open with her butt and ties the apron around her body tightly. 

“Roo, did you check the stock like I asked you?” She asks her newest staff member. 

The door opens and the bell chimes loudly.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Roo responds politely. 

“We’ve talked about this. You call me Bibi. Ma’am is only for special occasions.” She laughs and Roo blushes in embarrassment. 

The customer stops at the counter. His lips curling up into a cheeky smile. Roo nods at him and returns to cleaning the milk frother. 

“Is this a special enough occasion, Ma’am?” 

That voice… She would recognize that voice anywhere. Out of a million voices, she is certain she could point him out. So smooth and soft. She never turned around so fast in her life. The second her eyes meet his, her face turns into a state of shock. She can’t even move her little finger, let alone command her facial features to do anything at all. 

“You look like you saw a ghost.” Tears start welling up in her eyes, but she still doesn’t move. “You don’t seem happy to see me… Should I come in again?” He laughs. How dare he laugh right now? 

“You are such an idiot.” She says calmly. “I’ve waited over a year to tell you that.” 

Finally regaining control her body, she smiles the brightest smile she can muster. Her cheeks are wet and flustered, but her smile reaches all the way to her eyes. The way he is smiling back at her just made everything okay. All the pain and all the tears are suddenly forgiven, because he didn’t let it become never.   
Suddenly she notices the spring air blow through the cherry blossom trees and the children’s laughter on the playground more clearly. The colours seem more bright and the loneliness seems more bearable. Being alone is fine, but now they can finally be alone together again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stream Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5idjxf4jHI


End file.
